Homicides in Mexico
Mexico: Homicides was 31,895 deaths in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2022)
31,895 deaths
Change on year
down 6.7%
World rank
2nd
of 113 countries
All-time high
35,644 deaths
in 2020
All-time low
4,625 deaths
in 1969
Years of data
68
1955–2022
Homicides in Mexico, 1955–2022
Source: WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
In 2022, homicides in Mexico stood at 31,895 deaths.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.7% on the previous year and up 29.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicides in Mexico peaked at 35,644 deaths in 2020 and was at its lowest, 4,625 deaths, in 1969.
That places Mexico 2nd out of 113 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Homicides in Mexico, year by year
| Year | deaths | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1955 | 10,782 deaths | — |
| 1956 | 10,543 deaths | -2.2% |
| 1957 | 10,446 deaths | -0.9% |
| 1958 | 10,230 deaths | -2.1% |
| 1959 | 11,250 deaths | +10.0% |
| 1960 | 11,158 deaths | -0.8% |
| 1961 | 10,611 deaths | -4.9% |
| 1962 | 10,066 deaths | -5.1% |
| 1963 | 8,412 deaths | -16.4% |
| 1964 | 8,781 deaths | +4.4% |
| 1965 | 8,231 deaths | -6.3% |
| 1966 | 8,234 deaths | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 8,632 deaths | +4.8% |
| 1968 | 8,711 deaths | +0.9% |
| 1969 | 4,625 deaths | -46.9% |
| 1970 | 8,450 deaths | +82.7% |
| 1971 | 7,808 deaths | -7.6% |
| 1972 | 7,505 deaths | -3.9% |
| 1973 | 7,059 deaths | -5.9% |
| 1974 | 12,868 deaths | +82.3% |
| 1975 | 10,590 deaths | -17.7% |
| 1976 | 10,205 deaths | -3.6% |
| 1977 | 11,775 deaths | +15.4% |
| 1978 | 11,480 deaths | -2.5% |
| 1979 | 11,710 deaths | +2.0% |
| 1980 | 12,077 deaths | +3.1% |
| 1981 | 12,470 deaths | +3.3% |
| 1982 | 13,072 deaths | +4.8% |
| 1983 | 12,711 deaths | -2.8% |
| 1984 | 12,151 deaths | -4.4% |
| 1985 | 14,796 deaths | +21.8% |
| 1986 | 15,800 deaths | +6.8% |
| 1987 | 15,645 deaths | -1.0% |
| 1988 | 15,135 deaths | -3.3% |
| 1989 | 15,324 deaths | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 14,455 deaths | -5.7% |
| 1991 | 15,088 deaths | +4.4% |
| 1992 | 16,560 deaths | +9.8% |
| 1993 | 16,025 deaths | -3.2% |
| 1994 | 15,820 deaths | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 15,596 deaths | -1.4% |
| 1996 | 14,493 deaths | -7.1% |
| 1997 | 13,542 deaths | -6.6% |
| 1998 | 13,658 deaths | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 12,249 deaths | -10.3% |
| 2000 | 10,743 deaths | -12.3% |
| 2001 | 10,166 deaths | -5.4% |
| 2002 | 9,975 deaths | -1.9% |
| 2003 | 9,990 deaths | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 9,246 deaths | -7.4% |
| 2005 | 9,857 deaths | +6.6% |
| 2006 | 10,371 deaths | +5.2% |
| 2007 | 8,457 deaths | -18.5% |
| 2008 | 14,063 deaths | +66.3% |
| 2009 | 18,920 deaths | +34.5% |
| 2010 | 24,829 deaths | +31.2% |
| 2011 | 26,163 deaths | +5.4% |
| 2012 | 24,728 deaths | -5.5% |
| 2013 | 21,749 deaths | -12.0% |
| 2014 | 19,056 deaths | -12.4% |
| 2015 | 19,969 deaths | +4.8% |
| 2016 | 24,029 deaths | +20.3% |
| 2017 | 31,375 deaths | +30.6% |
| 2018 | 35,522 deaths | +13.2% |
| 2019 | 35,506 deaths | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 35,644 deaths | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 34,173 deaths | -4.1% |
| 2022 | 31,895 deaths | -6.7% |
Mexico compared with similar countries
- Mexico's 31,895 deaths is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 135 deaths, 236.3× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Mexico's 31,895 deaths is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 438 deaths, 72.8× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Homicides in Mexico changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | +82.7% | 4,625 deaths | 8,450 deaths |
| 1974 | +82.3% | 7,059 deaths | 12,868 deaths |
| 2008 | +66.3% | 8,457 deaths | 14,063 deaths |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 10,650 deaths | 10,230 deaths | 11,250 deaths | 5 |
| 1960s | 8,746 deaths | 4,625 deaths | 11,158 deaths | 10 |
| 1970s | 9,945 deaths | 7,059 deaths | 12,868 deaths | 10 |
| 1980s | 13,918 deaths | 12,077 deaths | 15,800 deaths | 10 |
| 1990s | 14,749 deaths | 12,249 deaths | 16,560 deaths | 10 |
| 2000s | 11,179 deaths | 8,457 deaths | 18,920 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 26,293 deaths | 19,056 deaths | 35,522 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 33,904 deaths | 31,895 deaths | 35,644 deaths | 3 |
Countries ranked near Mexico
More social development data for Mexico
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 152,002 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 41,307 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 3 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 3 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0003 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 41,307 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0012 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 Mexico?
- Homicides in Mexico was 31,895 deaths in 2022, according to WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest homicides recorded in Mexico?
- The highest recorded value was 35,644 deaths in 2020.
- What is the lowest homicides recorded in Mexico?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,625 deaths in 1969.
- How does Mexico rank for homicides?
- Mexico ranks 2nd out of 113 countries with data for 2022.
- Is homicides rising or falling in Mexico?
- Over the last ten years it is up 29.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Mexico 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.