Homicides in Denmark
Denmark: Homicides was 39 deaths in 2022. ▲ Rising
Latest (2022)
39 deaths
Change on year
up 50.0%
World rank
72nd
of 113 countries
All-time high
74 deaths
in 1985
All-time low
18 deaths
in 1961
Years of data
72
1951–2022
Homicides in Denmark, 1951–2022
Source: WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
Denmark recorded 39 deaths for homicides in 2022.
That represents a change of up 50.0% on the previous year and up 116.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicides in Denmark peaked at 74 deaths in 1985 and was at its lowest, 18 deaths, in 1961.
Denmark ranks 72nd of 113 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 72 years of available data.
Homicides in Denmark, year by year
| Year | deaths | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 44 deaths | — |
| 1952 | 37 deaths | -15.9% |
| 1953 | 55 deaths | +48.6% |
| 1954 | 33 deaths | -40.0% |
| 1955 | 24 deaths | -27.3% |
| 1956 | 44 deaths | +83.3% |
| 1957 | 24 deaths | -45.5% |
| 1958 | 24 deaths | +0.0% |
| 1959 | 22 deaths | -8.3% |
| 1960 | 23 deaths | +4.5% |
| 1961 | 18 deaths | -21.7% |
| 1962 | 23 deaths | +27.8% |
| 1963 | 37 deaths | +60.9% |
| 1964 | 20 deaths | -45.9% |
| 1965 | 28 deaths | +40.0% |
| 1966 | 25 deaths | -10.7% |
| 1967 | 23 deaths | -8.0% |
| 1968 | 28 deaths | +21.7% |
| 1969 | 32 deaths | +14.3% |
| 1970 | 33 deaths | +3.1% |
| 1971 | 48 deaths | +45.5% |
| 1972 | 29 deaths | -39.6% |
| 1973 | 46 deaths | +58.6% |
| 1974 | 37 deaths | -19.6% |
| 1975 | 29 deaths | -21.6% |
| 1976 | 35 deaths | +20.7% |
| 1977 | 35 deaths | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 27 deaths | -22.9% |
| 1979 | 50 deaths | +85.2% |
| 1980 | 67 deaths | +34.0% |
| 1981 | 70 deaths | +4.5% |
| 1982 | 50 deaths | -28.6% |
| 1983 | 59 deaths | +18.0% |
| 1984 | 52 deaths | -11.9% |
| 1985 | 74 deaths | +42.3% |
| 1986 | 61 deaths | -17.6% |
| 1987 | 54 deaths | -11.5% |
| 1988 | 57 deaths | +5.6% |
| 1989 | 62 deaths | +8.8% |
| 1990 | 51 deaths | -17.7% |
| 1991 | 71 deaths | +39.2% |
| 1992 | 69 deaths | -2.8% |
| 1993 | 63 deaths | -8.7% |
| 1994 | 70 deaths | +11.1% |
| 1995 | 63 deaths | -10.0% |
| 1996 | 59 deaths | -6.3% |
| 1997 | 64 deaths | +8.5% |
| 1998 | 51 deaths | -20.3% |
| 1999 | 59 deaths | +15.7% |
| 2000 | 67 deaths | +13.6% |
| 2001 | 49 deaths | -26.9% |
| 2002 | 50 deaths | +2.0% |
| 2003 | 61 deaths | +22.0% |
| 2004 | 35 deaths | -42.6% |
| 2005 | 55 deaths | +57.1% |
| 2006 | 36 deaths | -34.5% |
| 2007 | 46 deaths | +27.8% |
| 2008 | 44 deaths | -4.3% |
| 2009 | 43 deaths | -2.3% |
| 2010 | 42 deaths | -2.3% |
| 2011 | 43 deaths | +2.4% |
| 2012 | 18 deaths | -58.1% |
| 2013 | 20 deaths | +11.1% |
| 2014 | 38 deaths | +90.0% |
| 2015 | 33 deaths | -13.2% |
| 2016 | 40 deaths | +21.2% |
| 2017 | 46 deaths | +15.0% |
| 2018 | 29 deaths | -37.0% |
| 2019 | 36 deaths | +24.1% |
| 2020 | 37 deaths | +2.8% |
| 2021 | 26 deaths | -29.7% |
| 2022 | 39 deaths | +50.0% |
Denmark compared with similar countries
- Denmark's 39 deaths is below the median for high income countries, which is 63 deaths, 62% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Denmark's 39 deaths is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 63.5 deaths, 61% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 34.11 deaths | 22 deaths | 55 deaths | 9 |
| 1960s | 25.7 deaths | 18 deaths | 37 deaths | 10 |
| 1970s | 36.9 deaths | 27 deaths | 50 deaths | 10 |
| 1980s | 60.6 deaths | 50 deaths | 74 deaths | 10 |
| 1990s | 62 deaths | 51 deaths | 71 deaths | 10 |
| 2000s | 48.6 deaths | 35 deaths | 67 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 34.5 deaths | 18 deaths | 46 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 34 deaths | 26 deaths | 39 deaths | 3 |
Countries ranked near Denmark
- 69 Malaysia 45 deaths compare
- 70 Saint Lucia 43 deaths compare
- 71 Switzerland 42 deaths compare
- 72 Slovakia 39 deaths compare
- 72 Tajikistan 39 deaths compare
- 75 Kyrgyzstan 37 deaths compare
More social development data for Denmark
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 95,007 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 21 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 21 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0158 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is homicides in Denmark?
- Homicides in Denmark was 39 deaths in 2022, according to WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest homicides recorded in Denmark?
- The highest recorded value was 74 deaths in 1985.
- What is the lowest homicides recorded in Denmark?
- The lowest recorded value was 18 deaths in 1961.
- How does Denmark rank for homicides?
- Denmark ranks 72nd out of 113 countries with data for 2022.
- Is homicides rising or falling in Denmark?
- Over the last ten years it is up 116.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Denmark data come from?
- The figures come from WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Homicides. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 72 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual number of homicides.