Homicides in United States
United States: Homicides was 24,849 deaths in 2022. ▲ Rising
Latest (2022)
24,849 deaths
Change on year
down 4.5%
World rank
3rd
of 113 countries
All-time high
26,254 deaths
in 1991
All-time low
7,418 deaths
in 1955
Years of data
73
1950–2022
Homicides in United States, 1950–2022
Source: WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
In 2022, homicides in United States stood at 24,849 deaths.
That represents a change of down 4.5% on the previous year and up 48.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicides in United States peaked at 26,254 deaths in 1991 and was at its lowest, 7,418 deaths, in 1955.
United States ranks 3rd of 113 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 73 years of available data.
Homicides in United States, year by year
| Year | deaths | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 7,942 deaths | — |
| 1951 | 7,495 deaths | -5.6% |
| 1952 | 8,054 deaths | +7.5% |
| 1953 | 7,640 deaths | -5.1% |
| 1954 | 7,735 deaths | +1.2% |
| 1955 | 7,418 deaths | -4.1% |
| 1956 | 7,629 deaths | +2.8% |
| 1957 | 7,641 deaths | +0.2% |
| 1958 | 7,815 deaths | +2.3% |
| 1959 | 8,159 deaths | +4.4% |
| 1960 | 8,464 deaths | +3.7% |
| 1961 | 8,578 deaths | +1.3% |
| 1962 | 9,013 deaths | +5.1% |
| 1963 | 9,225 deaths | +2.4% |
| 1964 | 9,814 deaths | +6.4% |
| 1965 | 10,712 deaths | +9.2% |
| 1966 | 11,606 deaths | +8.3% |
| 1967 | 13,425 deaths | +15.7% |
| 1968 | 14,686 deaths | +9.4% |
| 1969 | 15,477 deaths | +5.4% |
| 1970 | 16,848 deaths | +8.9% |
| 1971 | 18,787 deaths | +11.5% |
| 1972 | 19,638 deaths | +4.5% |
| 1973 | 20,465 deaths | +4.2% |
| 1974 | 21,465 deaths | +4.9% |
| 1975 | 21,310 deaths | -0.7% |
| 1976 | 19,554 deaths | -8.2% |
| 1977 | 19,968 deaths | +2.1% |
| 1978 | 20,432 deaths | +2.3% |
| 1979 | 22,202 deaths | +8.7% |
| 1980 | 23,967 deaths | +7.9% |
| 1981 | 23,361 deaths | -2.5% |
| 1982 | 22,073 deaths | -5.5% |
| 1983 | 19,922 deaths | -9.7% |
| 1984 | 19,510 deaths | -2.1% |
| 1985 | 19,628 deaths | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 21,462 deaths | +9.3% |
| 1987 | 20,812 deaths | -3.0% |
| 1988 | 21,784 deaths | +4.7% |
| 1989 | 22,578 deaths | +3.6% |
| 1990 | 24,614 deaths | +9.0% |
| 1991 | 26,254 deaths | +6.7% |
| 1992 | 25,144 deaths | -4.2% |
| 1993 | 25,653 deaths | +2.0% |
| 1994 | 24,547 deaths | -4.3% |
| 1995 | 22,552 deaths | -8.1% |
| 1996 | 20,634 deaths | -8.5% |
| 1997 | 19,491 deaths | -5.5% |
| 1998 | 17,893 deaths | -8.2% |
| 1999 | 16,889 deaths | -5.6% |
| 2000 | 16,765 deaths | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 20,308 deaths | +21.1% |
| 2002 | 17,638 deaths | -13.1% |
| 2003 | 17,732 deaths | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 17,357 deaths | -2.1% |
| 2005 | 18,124 deaths | +4.4% |
| 2006 | 18,574 deaths | +2.5% |
| 2007 | 18,368 deaths | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 17,826 deaths | -3.0% |
| 2009 | 16,917 deaths | -5.1% |
| 2010 | 16,380 deaths | -3.2% |
| 2011 | 16,238 deaths | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 16,688 deaths | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 16,118 deaths | -3.4% |
| 2014 | 15,809 deaths | -1.9% |
| 2015 | 17,788 deaths | +12.5% |
| 2016 | 19,362 deaths | +8.8% |
| 2017 | 19,508 deaths | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 18,830 deaths | -3.5% |
| 2019 | 19,141 deaths | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 24,576 deaths | +28.4% |
| 2021 | 26,031 deaths | +5.9% |
| 2022 | 24,849 deaths | -4.5% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 24,849 deaths is above the median for high income countries, which is 63 deaths, 394.4× the median. (58 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 7,753 deaths | 7,418 deaths | 8,159 deaths | 10 |
| 1960s | 11,100 deaths | 8,464 deaths | 15,477 deaths | 10 |
| 1970s | 20,067 deaths | 16,848 deaths | 22,202 deaths | 10 |
| 1980s | 21,510 deaths | 19,510 deaths | 23,967 deaths | 10 |
| 1990s | 22,367 deaths | 16,889 deaths | 26,254 deaths | 10 |
| 2000s | 17,961 deaths | 16,765 deaths | 20,308 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 17,586 deaths | 15,809 deaths | 19,508 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 25,152 deaths | 24,576 deaths | 26,031 deaths | 3 |
Countries ranked near United States
More social development data for United States
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 457,647 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 3,667 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (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 3,667 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0013 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 United States?
- Homicides in United States was 24,849 deaths in 2022, according to WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest homicides recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 26,254 deaths in 1991.
- What is the lowest homicides recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 7,418 deaths in 1955.
- How does United States rank for homicides?
- United States ranks 3rd out of 113 countries with data for 2022.
- Is homicides rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 48.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States 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.