Homicides in Uruguay
Uruguay: Homicides was 403 deaths in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2022)
403 deaths
Change on year
up 25.9%
World rank
27th
of 113 countries
All-time high
426 deaths
in 2018
All-time low
57 deaths
in 1978
Years of data
62
1955–2022
Homicides in Uruguay, 1955–2022
Source: WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
Uruguay recorded 403 deaths for homicides in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 25.9% on the previous year and up 80.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicides in Uruguay peaked at 426 deaths in 2018 and was at its lowest, 57 deaths, in 1978.
That places Uruguay 27th out of 113 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Homicides in Uruguay, year by year
| Year | deaths | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1955 | 115 deaths | — |
| 1956 | 124 deaths | +7.8% |
| 1957 | 124 deaths | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 126 deaths | +1.6% |
| 1959 | 120 deaths | -4.8% |
| 1960 | 132 deaths | +10.0% |
| 1963 | 119 deaths | -9.8% |
| 1964 | 120 deaths | +0.8% |
| 1965 | 105 deaths | -12.5% |
| 1966 | 125 deaths | +19.0% |
| 1967 | 158 deaths | +26.4% |
| 1968 | 128 deaths | -19.0% |
| 1969 | 112 deaths | -12.5% |
| 1970 | 105 deaths | -6.2% |
| 1971 | 107 deaths | +1.9% |
| 1972 | 117 deaths | +9.3% |
| 1973 | 93 deaths | -20.5% |
| 1974 | 111 deaths | +19.4% |
| 1975 | 81 deaths | -27.0% |
| 1976 | 86 deaths | +6.2% |
| 1977 | 77 deaths | -10.5% |
| 1978 | 57 deaths | -26.0% |
| 1980 | 76 deaths | +33.3% |
| 1981 | 94 deaths | +23.7% |
| 1982 | 93 deaths | -1.1% |
| 1983 | 68 deaths | -26.9% |
| 1984 | 75 deaths | +10.3% |
| 1985 | 83 deaths | +10.7% |
| 1986 | 88 deaths | +6.0% |
| 1987 | 95 deaths | +8.0% |
| 1988 | 105 deaths | +10.5% |
| 1989 | 140 deaths | +33.3% |
| 1990 | 136 deaths | -2.9% |
| 1993 | 148 deaths | +8.8% |
| 1994 | 145 deaths | -2.0% |
| 1995 | 151 deaths | +4.1% |
| 1996 | 144 deaths | -4.6% |
| 1997 | 158 deaths | +9.7% |
| 1998 | 192 deaths | +21.5% |
| 1999 | 178 deaths | -7.3% |
| 2000 | 185 deaths | +3.9% |
| 2001 | 163 deaths | -11.9% |
| 2002 | 199 deaths | +22.1% |
| 2003 | 154 deaths | -22.6% |
| 2004 | 152 deaths | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 147 deaths | -3.3% |
| 2006 | 152 deaths | +3.4% |
| 2007 | 155 deaths | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 147 deaths | -5.2% |
| 2009 | 172 deaths | +17.0% |
| 2010 | 181 deaths | +5.2% |
| 2012 | 223 deaths | +23.2% |
| 2013 | 219 deaths | -1.8% |
| 2014 | 222 deaths | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 259 deaths | +16.7% |
| 2016 | 253 deaths | -2.3% |
| 2017 | 297 deaths | +17.4% |
| 2018 | 426 deaths | +43.4% |
| 2019 | 405 deaths | -4.9% |
| 2020 | 352 deaths | -13.1% |
| 2021 | 320 deaths | -9.1% |
| 2022 | 403 deaths | +25.9% |
Uruguay compared with similar countries
- Uruguay's 403 deaths is above the median for high income countries, which is 63 deaths, 6.4× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Uruguay's 403 deaths is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 438 deaths, 92% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 121.8 deaths | 115 deaths | 126 deaths | 5 |
| 1960s | 124.88 deaths | 105 deaths | 158 deaths | 8 |
| 1970s | 92.67 deaths | 57 deaths | 117 deaths | 9 |
| 1980s | 91.7 deaths | 68 deaths | 140 deaths | 10 |
| 1990s | 156.5 deaths | 136 deaths | 192 deaths | 8 |
| 2000s | 162.6 deaths | 147 deaths | 199 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 276.11 deaths | 181 deaths | 426 deaths | 9 |
| 2020s | 358.33 deaths | 320 deaths | 403 deaths | 3 |
Countries ranked near Uruguay
- 24 Kazakhstan 491 deaths compare
- 25 France 477 deaths compare
- 26 Panama 438 deaths compare
- 28 Trinidad and Tobago 392 deaths compare
- 29 Germany 371 deaths compare
- 30 South Korea 320 deaths compare
More social development data for Uruguay
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 3,195 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 126 (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 126 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0009 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 Uruguay?
- Homicides in Uruguay was 403 deaths in 2022, according to WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest homicides recorded in Uruguay?
- The highest recorded value was 426 deaths in 2018.
- What is the lowest homicides recorded in Uruguay?
- The lowest recorded value was 57 deaths in 1978.
- How does Uruguay rank for homicides?
- Uruguay ranks 27th out of 113 countries with data for 2022.
- Is homicides rising or falling in Uruguay?
- Over the last ten years it is up 80.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Uruguay 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
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About this data
Annual number of homicides.