Homicides in Guatemala
Guatemala: Homicides was 2,804 deaths in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Homicides in Guatemala, 1963–2022
Source: WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
In 2022, homicides in Guatemala stood at 2,804 deaths.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.2% on the previous year and down 26.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicides in Guatemala peaked at 8,079 deaths in 1981 and was at its lowest, 94 deaths, in 1974.
Guatemala ranks 10th of 113 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 689.71 deaths | 453 deaths | 1,122 deaths | 7 |
| 1970s | 778.4 deaths | 94 deaths | 1,574 deaths | 5 |
| 1980s | 2,853 deaths | 256 deaths | 8,079 deaths | 7 |
| 1990s | 2,070 deaths | 1,663 deaths | 3,002 deaths | 10 |
| 2000s | 3,784 deaths | 2,155 deaths | 6,038 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 4,032 deaths | 3,182 deaths | 5,482 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 2,554 deaths | 2,268 deaths | 2,804 deaths | 3 |
Countries ranked near Guatemala
- 7 Russia 7,302 deaths compare
- 8 South Africa 5,668 deaths compare
- 9 Ecuador 4,451 deaths compare
- 11 El Salvador 2,552 deaths compare
- 12 Iran 1,955 deaths compare
- 13 Dominican Republic 1,496 deaths compare
More social development data for Guatemala
- Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 1,586 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 34,994 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Key features of democracy 0.637 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.839 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.834 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.637 (2025)
- Participatory Democracy Index 0.421 (2025)
- Liberal Democracy Index 0.523 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is homicides in Guatemala?
- Homicides in Guatemala was 2,804 deaths in 2022, according to WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest homicides recorded in Guatemala?
- The highest recorded value was 8,079 deaths in 1981.
- What is the lowest homicides recorded in Guatemala?
- The lowest recorded value was 94 deaths in 1974.
- How does Guatemala rank for homicides?
- Guatemala ranks 10th out of 113 countries with data for 2022.
- Is homicides rising or falling in Guatemala?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Guatemala 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.
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About this data
Annual number of homicides.