Homicides in Estonia
Estonia: Homicides was 21 deaths in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2022)
21 deaths
Change on year
down 22.2%
World rank
82nd
of 113 countries
All-time high
425 deaths
in 1994
All-time low
21 deaths
in 2022
Years of data
40
1981–2022
Homicides in Estonia, 1981–2022
Source: WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
In 2022, homicides in Estonia stood at 21 deaths. That is the lowest value across all 40 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 22.2% on the previous year and down 67.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicides in Estonia peaked at 425 deaths in 1994 and was at its lowest, 21 deaths, in 2022.
Estonia ranks 82nd of 113 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Homicides in Estonia, year by year
| Year | deaths | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 126 deaths | — |
| 1982 | 122 deaths | -3.2% |
| 1985 | 101 deaths | -17.2% |
| 1986 | 92 deaths | -8.9% |
| 1987 | 88 deaths | -4.3% |
| 1988 | 93 deaths | +5.7% |
| 1989 | 123 deaths | +32.3% |
| 1990 | 174 deaths | +41.5% |
| 1991 | 170 deaths | -2.3% |
| 1992 | 302 deaths | +77.6% |
| 1993 | 389 deaths | +28.8% |
| 1994 | 425 deaths | +9.3% |
| 1995 | 328 deaths | -22.8% |
| 1996 | 293 deaths | -10.7% |
| 1997 | 237 deaths | -19.1% |
| 1998 | 265 deaths | +11.8% |
| 1999 | 227 deaths | -14.3% |
| 2000 | 190 deaths | -16.3% |
| 2001 | 207 deaths | +8.9% |
| 2002 | 159 deaths | -23.2% |
| 2003 | 148 deaths | -6.9% |
| 2004 | 109 deaths | -26.4% |
| 2005 | 123 deaths | +12.8% |
| 2006 | 99 deaths | -19.5% |
| 2007 | 95 deaths | -4.0% |
| 2008 | 91 deaths | -4.2% |
| 2009 | 81 deaths | -11.0% |
| 2010 | 62 deaths | -23.5% |
| 2011 | 65 deaths | +4.8% |
| 2012 | 65 deaths | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 52 deaths | -20.0% |
| 2014 | 42 deaths | -19.2% |
| 2015 | 42 deaths | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 32 deaths | -23.8% |
| 2017 | 29 deaths | -9.4% |
| 2018 | 28 deaths | -3.4% |
| 2019 | 26 deaths | -7.1% |
| 2020 | 42 deaths | +61.5% |
| 2021 | 27 deaths | -35.7% |
| 2022 | 21 deaths | -22.2% |
Estonia compared with similar countries
- Estonia's 21 deaths is below the median for high income countries, which is 63 deaths, 33% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Estonia's 21 deaths is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 63.5 deaths, 33% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 106.43 deaths | 88 deaths | 126 deaths | 7 |
| 1990s | 281 deaths | 170 deaths | 425 deaths | 10 |
| 2000s | 130.2 deaths | 81 deaths | 207 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 44.3 deaths | 26 deaths | 65 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 30 deaths | 21 deaths | 42 deaths | 3 |
Countries ranked near Estonia
More social development data for Estonia
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 41,299 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 86 (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 0.0001 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 86 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0302 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 Estonia?
- Homicides in Estonia was 21 deaths in 2022, according to WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest homicides recorded in Estonia?
- The highest recorded value was 425 deaths in 1994.
- What is the lowest homicides recorded in Estonia?
- The lowest recorded value was 21 deaths in 2022.
- How does Estonia rank for homicides?
- Estonia ranks 82nd out of 113 countries with data for 2022.
- Is homicides rising or falling in Estonia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 67.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Estonia 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 — 40 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual number of homicides.