Colombia crime rate per 100K population for 2021 was 27.48, a 13.37% increase from 2020.

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<li>Colombia crime rate per 100K population for 2020 was <strong>24.24</strong>, a <strong>5.87% decline</strong> from 2019.</li>
<li>Colombia crime rate per 100K population for 2019 was <strong>25.75</strong>, a <strong>1.82% decline</strong> from 2018.</li>
<li>Colombia crime rate per 100K population for 2018 was <strong>26.23</strong>, a <strong>3.13% increase</strong> from 2017.</li>
</ul>Intentional homicides are estimates of unlawful homicides purposely inflicted as a result of domestic disputes, interpersonal violence, violent conflicts over land resources, intergang violence over turf or control, and predatory violence and killing by armed groups. Intentional homicide does not include all intentional killing; the difference is usually in the organization of the killing. Individuals or small groups usually commit homicide, whereas killing in armed conflict is usually committed by fairly cohesive groups of up to several hundred members and is thus usually excluded.

In 2024, there were approximately 25.4 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in the country, down from a homicide rate of 25.7 a year earlier. The homicide rate in Colombia has been stable since 2014 with the numbers varying between 24 and 26.8 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. Crime and corruption Approximately 31 percent of the population identifies corruption as the main problem of the country, with fraud emerging as the foremost committed corruption and economic felony in Colombia. Followed by instances where residents were either firsthand or indirectly encountered attempts to purchase electoral votes. These experiences stem from discontent with flawed democratic functioning, culminating with the country positioned among the Latin American nations most plagued by corruption. Moreover, Colombia's corruption index was 39, where 0 represents the worst corruption scenario. Notably, those entrusted with safeguarding public welfare—the police, congressional representatives, and presidential personnel—are implicated in these transgressions, thereby fostering a prevailing sense of insecurity among the population. Not an easy way out of drug trafficking Amidst the economic challenges stemming from an uneven distribution of wealth that predominantly favors merely one percent of the population, the youth demographic and individuals residing in rural areas are more inclined towards seeking a convenient route to monetary gains. This trend has the adverse consequence of resulting in land expropriation and engenders a state of insecurity for landowners, particularly concerning crop cultivation. The proliferation of narcotics has escalated significantly, prompting alarm within the government. These authorities have grappled with a persistent inability to curb the proliferation of this phenomenon. Notably, the cultivation and exportation of marijuana and cocaine stand out as the primary illegal undertaking, facilitated through international transport via land, aircraft, and maritime shipments.

Antioquia and Valle del Cauca were the departments where most homicides were recorded in Colombia throughout 2024, with 1,649 and 2,265 murders respectively. By contrast, only 2 homicide was registered in Guainía. In total, 13,341 homicides were recorded in Colombia. Homicides During 2024, Colombia ranked as the sixth South American country with the highest homicide rate. Even though Colombia ranks quite high, the homicide rate has remained stable for the last decade, between 24 and 26.8 cases per each 100,000 inhabitants. The situation with crime, poverty, and drug trafficking stays as barriers to the betterment of peace for the citizens.
How much does crime cost?
Crime always takes a toll on the economic development of a country, adding to the insecurity and instability of the country. As a consequence, governments spend a lot to try to stop the further development of crime. For example, Colombia’s public spending on order and security increased 220 percent from 2010 to 2023. And the economic cost of violence is estimated at over 274 billion U.S. dollars per year.

In 2023, there were *** homicides in the Colombian city of Medellín. This was the second lowest figure recorded in this urban hub since 1980. Medellín suffered a wave of violence in the late 1980s and 1990s, with a peak of nearly ***** homicides in 1991.

This is a brief description of the sources of our database.

We obtained data on rates of interpersonal violence and homicides from the Colombian Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Studies. Specifically, this institute records the total number of homicides and cases of interpersonal violence that occur in Barranquilla on a daily basis between the hours of 00:00 to 23:59. Interpersonal violence cases are non-lethal crimes comprised of the following categories: quarrels (86%), illegal detention, including kidnapping, hostage taking, etc. (6.6%), settling old scores (3.7%), illicit activities (1.4%), and stray bullet (0.1%).

We extracted our weather variables from the Colombian Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM, by its acronym in Spanish). The climate variables we use in this study relate to maximum temperature, average relative humidity, total precipitation, and average wind speed all of which are recorded by IDEAM daily. We also used the Heat Index which accounts for both temperature and humidity in its calculation and provides a measure of overall discomfort on any given day. The calculation of this Heat Index followed the formula provided by the NOAA (2018).

Data in relation to lunar cycles were obtained from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). This provides us with a variable that indicates the daily percent of illumination on the Moon’s surface.

Temporal variables reflecting public holidays and weekends were acquired by browsing Colombia’s calendar for every year of the study period.

We use the daily number of fines attributed to the “driving under the influence” felony as a proxy for alcohol consumption, and the daily registration of civilian vehicles as a proxy to reflect changes in overall economic conditions. We obtained information relating to both fines for drinking and driving and private vehicle registrations from the Secretaria Distrital de Movilidad, an entity adjacent to the Mayor’s office for the city of Barranquilla that regulates the city’s vehicular access and mobility.

Colombia CO: Intentional Homicides: per 100,000 People data was reported at 27.484 Ratio in 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 24.243 Ratio for 2020. Colombia CO: Intentional Homicides: per 100,000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 41.880 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2021, with 32 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 85.428 Ratio in 1991 and a record low of 24.243 Ratio in 2020. Colombia CO: Intentional Homicides: per 100,000 People data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Colombia – Table CO.World Bank.WDI: Social: Health Statistics. Intentional homicides are estimates of unlawful homicides purposely inflicted as a result of domestic disputes, interpersonal violence, violent conflicts over land resources, intergang violence over turf or control, and predatory violence and killing by armed groups. Intentional homicide does not include all intentional killing; the difference is usually in the organization of the killing. Individuals or small groups usually commit homicide, whereas killing in armed conflict is usually committed by fairly cohesive groups of up to several hundred members and is thus usually excluded.;UN Office on Drugs and Crime's International Homicide Statistics database.;Weighted average;

Firearms were the most common method used to commit murder in Colombia in 2024, causing more than ***** homicides. Sharp objects were used in nearly ***** murders in the South American country. Furthermore, Valle del Cauca and Antioquia were the departments where most homicides were recorded in Colombia throughout 2023.

The number of intentional homicides in Colombia surpassed ****** in 2021 and 2022, which represents a major increase versus the previous years. Between 2012 and 2020, the total number of murders in the South American country had steadily declined.

Colombia CO: Intentional Homicides: Male: per 100,000 Male data was reported at 47.469 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 49.336 Ratio for 2015. Colombia CO: Intentional Homicides: Male: per 100,000 Male data is updated yearly, averaging 67.159 Ratio from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2016, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 127.244 Ratio in 2002 and a record low of 47.469 Ratio in 2016. Colombia CO: Intentional Homicides: Male: per 100,000 Male data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Colombia – Table CO.World Bank: Health Statistics. Intentional homicides, male are estimates of unlawful male homicides purposely inflicted as a result of domestic disputes, interpersonal violence, violent conflicts over land resources, intergang violence over turf or control, and predatory violence and killing by armed groups. Intentional homicide does not include all intentional killing; the difference is usually in the organization of the killing. Individuals or small groups usually commit homicide, whereas killing in armed conflict is usually committed by fairly cohesive groups of up to several hundred members and is thus usually excluded.; ; UN Office on Drugs and Crime's International Homicide Statistics database.; ;

In 2024, the most common property crime recorded in Colombia was robbery against persons, with ******* cases. The second most common crime was vehicle theft, with nearly ****** incidents.

Colombia CO: Intentional Homicides: Female: per 100,000 Female data was reported at 4.205 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 4.362 Ratio for 2015. Colombia CO: Intentional Homicides: Female: per 100,000 Female data is updated yearly, averaging 5.833 Ratio from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2016, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10.685 Ratio in 2001 and a record low of 4.205 Ratio in 2016. Colombia CO: Intentional Homicides: Female: per 100,000 Female data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Colombia – Table CO.World Bank: Health Statistics. Intentional homicides, female are estimates of unlawful female homicides purposely inflicted as a result of domestic disputes, interpersonal violence, violent conflicts over land resources, intergang violence over turf or control, and predatory violence and killing by armed groups. Intentional homicide does not include all intentional killing; the difference is usually in the organization of the killing. Individuals or small groups usually commit homicide, whereas killing in armed conflict is usually committed by fairly cohesive groups of up to several hundred members and is thus usually excluded.; ; UN Office on Drugs and Crime's International Homicide Statistics database.; ;

100 men aged between 20 and 24 years were murdered in Colombia throughout 2022. That age group also concentrates the second highest number of homicides of women, with ** murders of Colombian females recorded during the same year.

The Robbery Incidents in Medellin database serves as a comprehensive repository of reported robbery incidents within the city limits. It aims to provide law enforcement agencies, policymakers, and researchers with valuable insights into the patterns, trends, and characteristics of robberies occurring in Medellin. The database covers a range of information, including the time, location, nature of the incident, items stolen, and any additional relevant details.

This dataset is part of the ESCALA (Study of Urban Health and Climate Change in Informal Settlements in Latin America) project that was funded by the Lacuna Fund of the Meridian Institute https://lacunafund.org/. This dataset contains homicide cases reported by police in the municipal area of Bogotá, 2012-2022, by Planning Zone Units (UPZ - Unidad de Planeamiento Zonal). Data were provided by the Statistical, Criminal, Contraventional, and Operational Information System (SIEDCO). (1) Anomalous values in the column "HOMCOUNT" that may exceed realistic homicide counts (e.g., outliers or values below 0). (2) Missing or incomplete data for some UPZs where no homicides were reported. (3) Potential misalignment between UPZs in the dataset and official geographic definitions. (4) If "HOMRATE" includes calculated rates, errors may occur due to incorrect population denominators or missing population data for specific years. Data preprocessing included (1) flagging records with anomalous values in "HOMCOUNT" for further investigation while retaining them for analysis, (2) verifying missing "ID_UPZ" values against secondary sources to match the homicide data with official UPZs (3) checking the accuracy of population estimates for corresponding UPZs in cases where "HOMRATE" was calculated.

The Colombia Self Defense Products market was valued at over USD 6 Million in 2023 due to rising crime rates drive demand for self-defense products.

Homicide rate distribution according to HIV reported cases for foreign born, national and total women for 84 Colombian municipalities.

Dataset is about the HSI Operation Popeye which was conducted in collaboration with partners in Italy, Colombia, and the United States to dismantle multiple organized crime groups operating in domestically and in Europe, while simultaneously disrupting a Colombian drug cartel representing one of the largest suppliers of cocaine and fentanyl to Europe and North America. Operation Popeye led to the seizure of 4.4 tons of cocaine, 66 kilograms of heroin, €1.85 million (approximately $2.04 million), and 63 arrests. This investigation leveraged HSI’s unique domestic and international authorities and resources to coordinate one of the largest and most complex undercover operations ever accomplished through United States and international law enforcement partnerships.

Gender, violence, and migration structurally impact health. The Venezuelan humanitarian crisis comprises the largest transnational migration in the history of the Americas. Colombia, a post-conflict country, is the primary recipient of Venezuelans. The Colombian context imposes high levels of violence on women across migration phases. There is little information on the relationship between violence and HIV risk in the region and how it impacts these groups. Evidence on how to approach the HIV response related to Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis is lacking. Our study seeks to 1) understand how violence is associated with newly reported HIV/AIDS case rates for women in Colombian municipalities; and 2) describe how social violence impacts HIV risk, treatment, and prevention for Venezuelan migrant and refugee women undergoing transnational migration and resettlement in Colombia. We conducted a concurrent mixed-methods design. We used negative binomial models to explore associations between social violence proxied by Homicide Rates (HR) at the municipality level (n = 84). The also conducted 54 semi-structured interviews with Venezuelan migrant and refugee women and key informants in two Colombian cities to expand and describe contextual vulnerabilities to HIV risk, prevention and care related to violence. We found that newly reported HIV cases in women were 25% higher for every increase of 18 homicides per 100,000, after adjusting for covariates. Upon resettlement, participants cited armed actors’ control, lack of government accountability, gender-based violence and stigmatization of HIV as sources of increased HIV risk for VMRW. These factors impose barriers to testing, treatment and care. Social violence in Colombian municipalities is associated with an increase in newly reported HIV/AIDS case rates in women. Violence hinders Venezuelan migrant and refugee women’s access and engagement in available HIV prevention and treatment interventions.

Replication Data for: "Is Murder Bad for Business? Evidence From Colombia"

In 2022, more than two thirds of homicides in Colombia took place in municipal seats. Meanwhile, almost 25 percent of the murders occurred in rural areas. Furthermore, most murders occurred in public spaces.