Homicides in Thailand
Thailand: Homicides was 847 deaths in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
847 deaths
Change on year
down 1.5%
World rank
17th
of 113 countries
All-time high
12,476 deaths
in 1981
All-time low
847 deaths
in 2023
Years of data
49
1969–2023
Homicides in Thailand, 1969–2023
Source: WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
In 2023, homicides in Thailand stood at 847 deaths. That is the lowest value across all 49 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.5% on the previous year and down 72.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicides in Thailand peaked at 12,476 deaths in 1981 and was at its lowest, 847 deaths, in 2023.
That places Thailand 17th out of 113 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Homicides in Thailand, year by year
| Year | deaths | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | 5,779 deaths | — |
| 1970 | 5,976 deaths | +3.4% |
| 1971 | 5,766 deaths | -3.5% |
| 1972 | 4,654 deaths | -19.3% |
| 1973 | 6,217 deaths | +33.6% |
| 1974 | 7,479 deaths | +20.3% |
| 1975 | 12,047 deaths | +61.1% |
| 1976 | 8,602 deaths | -28.6% |
| 1977 | 8,058 deaths | -6.3% |
| 1978 | 9,202 deaths | +14.2% |
| 1979 | 11,913 deaths | +29.5% |
| 1980 | 11,652 deaths | -2.2% |
| 1981 | 12,476 deaths | +7.1% |
| 1982 | 10,661 deaths | -14.5% |
| 1983 | 8,209 deaths | -23.0% |
| 1984 | 7,354 deaths | -10.4% |
| 1985 | 6,132 deaths | -16.6% |
| 1986 | 5,425 deaths | -11.5% |
| 1987 | 5,229 deaths | -3.6% |
| 1990 | 4,768 deaths | -8.8% |
| 1991 | 4,643 deaths | -2.6% |
| 1992 | 4,953 deaths | +6.7% |
| 1994 | 4,161 deaths | -16.0% |
| 1995 | 3,564 deaths | -14.3% |
| 1996 | 5,838 deaths | +63.8% |
| 1997 | 3,622 deaths | -38.0% |
| 1998 | 4,246 deaths | +17.2% |
| 1999 | 5,697 deaths | +34.2% |
| 2000 | 4,288 deaths | -24.7% |
| 2002 | 3,402 deaths | -20.7% |
| 2003 | 4,830 deaths | +42.0% |
| 2004 | 3,046 deaths | -36.9% |
| 2005 | 3,402 deaths | +11.7% |
| 2006 | 3,359 deaths | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 3,467 deaths | +3.2% |
| 2008 | 3,157 deaths | -8.9% |
| 2009 | 2,855 deaths | -9.6% |
| 2010 | 3,301 deaths | +15.6% |
| 2011 | 2,941 deaths | -10.9% |
| 2012 | 2,975 deaths | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 3,023 deaths | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 2,652 deaths | -12.3% |
| 2015 | 2,169 deaths | -18.2% |
| 2016 | 1,773 deaths | -18.3% |
| 2017 | 1,492 deaths | -15.8% |
| 2018 | 1,319 deaths | -11.6% |
| 2019 | 1,123 deaths | -14.9% |
| 2021 | 860 deaths | -23.4% |
| 2023 | 847 deaths | -1.5% |
Thailand compared with similar countries
- Thailand's 847 deaths is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 135 deaths, 6.3× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Thailand's 847 deaths is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 130.5 deaths, 6.5× the median. (12 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5,779 deaths | 5,779 deaths | 5,779 deaths | 1 |
| 1970s | 7,991 deaths | 4,654 deaths | 12,047 deaths | 10 |
| 1980s | 8,392 deaths | 5,229 deaths | 12,476 deaths | 8 |
| 1990s | 4,610 deaths | 3,564 deaths | 5,838 deaths | 9 |
| 2000s | 3,534 deaths | 2,855 deaths | 4,830 deaths | 9 |
| 2010s | 2,277 deaths | 1,123 deaths | 3,301 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 853.5 deaths | 847 deaths | 860 deaths | 2 |
Countries ranked near Thailand
More social development data for Thailand
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 84,017 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 327 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 6 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 6 (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 327 (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 Thailand?
- Homicides in Thailand was 847 deaths in 2023, according to WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest homicides recorded in Thailand?
- The highest recorded value was 12,476 deaths in 1981.
- What is the lowest homicides recorded in Thailand?
- The lowest recorded value was 847 deaths in 2023.
- How does Thailand rank for homicides?
- Thailand ranks 17th out of 113 countries with data for 2023.
- Is homicides rising or falling in Thailand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 72.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Thailand 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 — 49 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual number of homicides.