Homicides in Japan
Japan: Homicides was 214 deaths in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Homicides in Japan, 1950–2022
Source: WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
The most recent figure for homicides in Japan is 214 deaths, measured in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 73 years on record.
The figure is down 16.7% on the previous year and down 44.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicides in Japan peaked at 2,120 deaths in 1955 and was at its lowest, 214 deaths, in 2022.
Japan ranks 40th 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 1,882 deaths | 1,756 deaths | 2,120 deaths | 10 |
| 1960s | 1,490 deaths | 1,396 deaths | 1,749 deaths | 10 |
| 1970s | 1,370 deaths | 1,192 deaths | 1,446 deaths | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,029 deaths | 767 deaths | 1,153 deaths | 10 |
| 1990s | 749.8 deaths | 681 deaths | 810 deaths | 10 |
| 2000s | 632.4 deaths | 479 deaths | 771 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 341.5 deaths | 276 deaths | 437 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 241 deaths | 214 deaths | 257 deaths | 3 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More social development data for Japan
- Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 42,450 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 56 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Key features of democracy 0.819 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.847 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.924 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.819 (2025)
- Participatory Democracy Index 0.526 (2025)
- Liberal Democracy Index 0.734 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is homicides in Japan?
- Homicides in Japan was 214 deaths in 2022, according to WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest homicides recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 2,120 deaths in 1955.
- What is the lowest homicides recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 214 deaths in 2022.
- How does Japan rank for homicides?
- Japan ranks 40th out of 113 countries with data for 2022.
- Is homicides rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 44.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Japan 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 — 73 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual number of homicides.