Homicides (World Health) in North Korea
North Korea: Homicides (World Health) was 1,064 deaths in 2021. ▼ Falling
Homicides in North Korea, 2000–2021
Source: World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
The most recent figure for homicides in North Korea is 1,064 deaths, measured in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 22 years on record.
The figure is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 7.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicides in North Korea peaked at 1,389 deaths in 2000 and was at its lowest, 1,064 deaths, in 2021.
That places North Korea 56th out of 194 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 22 years of available data.
Homicides (World Health) in North Korea, year by year
| Year | deaths | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 1,389 deaths | — |
| 2001 | 1,278 deaths | -8.0% |
| 2002 | 1,232 deaths | -3.5% |
| 2003 | 1,212 deaths | -1.7% |
| 2004 | 1,175 deaths | -3.0% |
| 2005 | 1,152 deaths | -2.0% |
| 2006 | 1,150 deaths | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 1,177 deaths | +2.4% |
| 2008 | 1,184 deaths | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 1,177 deaths | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 1,168 deaths | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 1,156 deaths | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 1,141 deaths | -1.2% |
| 2013 | 1,130 deaths | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 1,125 deaths | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 1,118 deaths | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 1,108 deaths | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 1,107 deaths | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 1,092 deaths | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 1,084 deaths | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 1,075 deaths | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 1,064 deaths | -1.0% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 1,064 deaths is below the median for low income countries, which is 1,070 deaths, 99% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 1,064 deaths is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 123.38 deaths, 8.6× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1,212 deaths | 1,150 deaths | 1,389 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,123 deaths | 1,084 deaths | 1,168 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,069 deaths | 1,064 deaths | 1,075 deaths | 2 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
- 53 Zambia 1,153 deaths compare
- 54 Guinea 1,150 deaths compare
- 55 Mozambique 1,070 deaths compare
- 57 Central African Republic 1,036 deaths compare
- 58 Papua New Guinea 1,035 deaths compare
- 59 Lesotho 907.22 deaths compare
More social development data for North Korea
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 263 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 7 (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 263 (2025)
- Sovereign state gleditsch ward, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of -7.07 % change on previous year (2025)
- Human Rights Index vs. Electoral Democracy Index 0.024 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is homicides in North Korea?
- Homicides in North Korea was 1,064 deaths in 2021, according to World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest homicides recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 1,389 deaths in 2000.
- What is the lowest homicides recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,064 deaths in 2021.
- How does North Korea rank for homicides?
- North Korea ranks 56th out of 194 countries with data for 2021.
- Is homicides rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Homicides. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 22 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimated number of deaths from interpersonal violence in both sexes.