Homicides (WHO Mortality) in Norway
Norway: Homicides (WHO Mortality) was 35 deaths in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
35 deaths
Change on year
up 2.9%
World rank
77th
of 113 countries
All-time high
114 deaths
in 2011
All-time low
9 deaths
in 1955
Years of data
73
1951–2023
Homicides in Norway, 1951–2023
Source: WHO Mortality Database (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
In 2023, homicides in Norway stood at 35 deaths.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.9% on the previous year and down 30.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicides in Norway peaked at 114 deaths in 2011 and was at its lowest, 9 deaths, in 1955.
That places Norway 77th out of 113 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 73 years of available data.
Homicides (WHO Mortality) in Norway, year by year
| Year | deaths | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 11 deaths | — |
| 1952 | 12 deaths | +9.1% |
| 1953 | 12 deaths | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 12 deaths | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 9 deaths | -25.0% |
| 1956 | 13 deaths | +44.4% |
| 1957 | 19 deaths | +46.2% |
| 1958 | 19 deaths | +0.0% |
| 1959 | 16 deaths | -15.8% |
| 1960 | 15 deaths | -6.2% |
| 1961 | 16 deaths | +6.7% |
| 1962 | 16 deaths | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 24 deaths | +50.0% |
| 1964 | 19 deaths | -20.8% |
| 1965 | 20 deaths | +5.3% |
| 1966 | 16 deaths | -20.0% |
| 1967 | 17 deaths | +6.2% |
| 1968 | 23 deaths | +35.3% |
| 1969 | 27 deaths | +17.4% |
| 1970 | 24 deaths | -11.1% |
| 1971 | 22 deaths | -8.3% |
| 1972 | 29 deaths | +31.8% |
| 1973 | 30 deaths | +3.4% |
| 1974 | 25 deaths | -16.7% |
| 1975 | 28 deaths | +12.0% |
| 1976 | 30 deaths | +7.1% |
| 1977 | 33 deaths | +10.0% |
| 1978 | 30 deaths | -9.1% |
| 1979 | 38 deaths | +26.7% |
| 1980 | 46 deaths | +21.1% |
| 1981 | 55 deaths | +19.6% |
| 1982 | 42 deaths | -23.6% |
| 1983 | 51 deaths | +21.4% |
| 1984 | 45 deaths | -11.8% |
| 1985 | 40 deaths | -11.1% |
| 1986 | 65 deaths | +62.5% |
| 1987 | 60 deaths | -7.7% |
| 1988 | 49 deaths | -18.3% |
| 1989 | 55 deaths | +12.2% |
| 1990 | 49 deaths | -10.9% |
| 1991 | 66 deaths | +34.7% |
| 1992 | 47 deaths | -28.8% |
| 1993 | 42 deaths | -10.6% |
| 1994 | 34 deaths | -19.0% |
| 1995 | 45 deaths | +32.4% |
| 1996 | 47 deaths | +4.4% |
| 1997 | 41 deaths | -12.8% |
| 1998 | 43 deaths | +4.9% |
| 1999 | 38 deaths | -11.6% |
| 2000 | 53 deaths | +39.5% |
| 2001 | 33 deaths | -37.7% |
| 2002 | 39 deaths | +18.2% |
| 2003 | 48 deaths | +23.1% |
| 2004 | 39 deaths | -18.8% |
| 2005 | 29 deaths | -25.6% |
| 2006 | 45 deaths | +55.2% |
| 2007 | 33 deaths | -26.7% |
| 2008 | 27 deaths | -18.2% |
| 2009 | 31 deaths | +14.8% |
| 2010 | 33 deaths | +6.5% |
| 2011 | 114 deaths | +245.5% |
| 2012 | 30 deaths | -73.7% |
| 2013 | 50 deaths | +66.7% |
| 2014 | 31 deaths | -38.0% |
| 2015 | 21 deaths | -32.3% |
| 2016 | 32 deaths | +52.4% |
| 2017 | 26 deaths | -18.8% |
| 2018 | 24 deaths | -7.7% |
| 2019 | 27 deaths | +12.5% |
| 2020 | 36 deaths | +33.3% |
| 2021 | 29 deaths | -19.4% |
| 2022 | 34 deaths | +17.2% |
| 2023 | 35 deaths | +2.9% |
Norway compared with similar countries
- Norway's 35 deaths is below the median for high income countries, which is 63.5 deaths, 55% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Norway's 35 deaths is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 63 deaths, 56% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Homicides (WHO Mortality) in Norway 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | +245.5% | 33 deaths | 114 deaths |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 13.67 deaths | 9 deaths | 19 deaths | 9 |
| 1960s | 19.3 deaths | 15 deaths | 27 deaths | 10 |
| 1970s | 28.9 deaths | 22 deaths | 38 deaths | 10 |
| 1980s | 50.8 deaths | 40 deaths | 65 deaths | 10 |
| 1990s | 45.2 deaths | 34 deaths | 66 deaths | 10 |
| 2000s | 37.7 deaths | 27 deaths | 53 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 38.8 deaths | 21 deaths | 114 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 33.5 deaths | 29 deaths | 36 deaths | 4 |
Countries ranked near Norway
- 75 Kyrgyzstan 37 deaths compare
- 76 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 36 deaths compare
- 77 Suriname 35 deaths compare
- 79 Croatia 30 deaths compare
- 79 Jamaica 30 deaths compare
More social development data for Norway
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 124,006 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 20 (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 20 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0221 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 Norway?
- Homicides in Norway was 35 deaths in 2023, according to WHO Mortality Database (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest homicides recorded in Norway?
- The highest recorded value was 114 deaths in 2011.
- What is the lowest homicides recorded in Norway?
- The lowest recorded value was 9 deaths in 1955.
- How does Norway rank for homicides?
- Norway ranks 77th out of 113 countries with data for 2023.
- Is homicides rising or falling in Norway?
- Over the last ten years it is down 30.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Norway data come from?
- The figures come from WHO Mortality Database (2026) – 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
Reported deaths from homicide, based on the underlying cause listed on death certificates.