Latin America & Caribbean: homicide rate 2023, by country

In 2023, the highest homicide rate among 20 Latin American and Caribbean countries surveyed was in Jamaica, with around 60.9 murders committed per 100,000 inhabitants. Ecuador came in second, with a homicide rate of 44.5, while Honduras ranked fifth, with 31.1. In the same year, the lowest rate was recorded in El Salvador, with a homicide rate of 2.4 per 100,000 inhabitants.

A violence-ridden region

Violence and crime are some of the most pressing problems affecting Latin American society nowadays. More than 40 of the 50 most dangerous cities in the world are located in this region, as well as two of the twenty countries with the least peace in the world according to the Global Peace Index. Despite governments’ large spending on security and high imprisonment rates, drug and weapon trafficking, organized crime, and gangs have turned violence into an epidemic that affects the whole region and a solution to this issue seems to be hardly attainable.

The cost of violence in Mexico

Mexico stands out as an example of the great cost that violence inflicts upon a country, since beyond claiming human lives, it also affects everyday life and has a negative impact on the economy. Mexicans have a high perceived level of insecurity, as they do not only fear becoming victims of homicide, but also of other common crimes, such as assault or rape. Such fear prevents people from performing everyday activities, for instance, going out at night, taking a taxi or going to the movies or the theater. Furthermore, the economic toll of violence in Mexico is more than considerable. For example, the cost of homicide and violent crime amounted to 2233.9 and 1565.8 billion Mexican pesos in 2021, respectively.