Homicides (World Health) in New Zealand
New Zealand: Homicides (World Health) was 62.46 deaths in 2021. ▬ Flat
Latest (2021)
62.46 deaths
Change on year
up 4.8%
World rank
141st
of 194 countries
All-time high
83.26 deaths
in 2009
All-time low
46.65 deaths
in 2014
Years of data
22
2000–2021
Homicides in New Zealand, 2000–2021
Source: World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 62.46 deaths for homicides in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.8% on the previous year and up 15.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicides in New Zealand peaked at 83.26 deaths in 2009 and was at its lowest, 46.65 deaths, in 2014.
New Zealand ranks 141st of 194 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Homicides (World Health) in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | deaths | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 56.86 deaths | — |
| 2001 | 54.95 deaths | -3.4% |
| 2002 | 71.81 deaths | +30.7% |
| 2003 | 57.32 deaths | -20.2% |
| 2004 | 50.18 deaths | -12.5% |
| 2005 | 74.44 deaths | +48.3% |
| 2006 | 66.74 deaths | -10.3% |
| 2007 | 57.83 deaths | -13.4% |
| 2008 | 52.51 deaths | -9.2% |
| 2009 | 83.26 deaths | +58.6% |
| 2010 | 54.25 deaths | -34.8% |
| 2011 | 54.27 deaths | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 57.19 deaths | +5.4% |
| 2013 | 56.96 deaths | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 46.65 deaths | -18.1% |
| 2015 | 62.69 deaths | +34.4% |
| 2016 | 60.3 deaths | -3.8% |
| 2017 | 62.49 deaths | +3.6% |
| 2018 | 58.83 deaths | -5.9% |
| 2019 | 59.59 deaths | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 59.62 deaths | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 62.46 deaths | +4.8% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 62.46 deaths is below the median for high income countries, which is 71.2 deaths, 88% of the median. (63 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 62.46 deaths is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 123.38 deaths, 51% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 62.59 deaths | 50.18 deaths | 83.26 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 57.32 deaths | 46.65 deaths | 62.69 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 61.04 deaths | 59.62 deaths | 62.46 deaths | 2 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More social development data for New Zealand
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2,148 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 58 (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 58 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0004 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 New Zealand?
- Homicides in New Zealand was 62.46 deaths in 2021, according to World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest homicides recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 83.26 deaths in 2009.
- What is the lowest homicides recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 46.65 deaths in 2014.
- How does New Zealand rank for homicides?
- New Zealand ranks 141st out of 194 countries with data for 2021.
- Is homicides rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this New Zealand 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.