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.

Jamaica is one of the most violent countries in the Caribbean. In 2024, there were approximately 40.1 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in the island nation. This was one of the highest homicide rate in Latin America and the Caribbean that year.

Jamaica is one of the countries with the highest homicide rates in Latin America and the Caribbean. Indeed, the number of people murdered in Jamaica amounted to 1,141 in 2024, slightly down from 1,393 victims a year earlier.

There was an overall increase through out the time frame displayed in the crime rate in Jamaica. Nonetheless, the highest growth registered was in 2004 which lead to the topmost value in the following year with 61.09 cases per 100.000 inhabitants. At the end of the record in 2021 the value stood at 52.13.

Jamaica crime rate per 100K population for 2021 was 52.13, a 10.29% increase from 2020.

• Jamaica crime rate per 100K population for 2020 was 47.26, a 0.76% decline from 2019.
• Jamaica crime rate per 100K population for 2019 was 47.62, a 3.88% increase from 2018.
• Jamaica crime rate per 100K population for 2018 was 45.84, a 21.83% decline from 2017.

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.

Jamaica JM: Intentional Homicides: per 100,000 People data was reported at 43.200 Ratio in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 36.100 Ratio for 2014. Jamaica JM: Intentional Homicides: per 100,000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 41.373 Ratio from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2015, with 21 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 62.500 Ratio in 2005 and a record low of 31.688 Ratio in 1995. Jamaica JM: 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 Jamaica – Table JM.World Bank: 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;

In 2024, the highest homicide rate among 22 Latin American and Caribbean countries surveyed was in Haiti, with around 62 murders committed per 100,000 inhabitants. Trinidad and Tobago came in second, with a homicide rate of 46, while Honduras ranked seventh, with 25. In the same year, the lowest rate was recorded in El Salvador, with a homicide rate of 1.9 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 one 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 appears 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 2099.8 and 1778.1 billion Mexican pesos in 2023, respectively.

Jamaica JM: Intentional Homicides: Male: per 100,000 Male data was reported at 85.058 Ratio in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 76.415 Ratio for 2015. Jamaica JM: Intentional Homicides: Male: per 100,000 Male data is updated yearly, averaging 86.007 Ratio from Dec 2005 (Median) to 2016, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 109.756 Ratio in 2009 and a record low of 63.558 Ratio in 2014. Jamaica JM: 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 Jamaica – Table JM.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.; ;

The Government of Jamaica (GOJ) is collaborating with USAID through a Government to Government (G2G) initiative to implement a comprehensive reading activity. The G2G activity supports the GOJ’s efforts to improve reading among students in Grades 1 -3 of 450 poor performing primary and All Age schools across Jamaica. The activity targets specific education regions because of risk factors, such as crime, poverty and unemployment. The CBSI component of the project benefits approximately 11,000 students and 200 teachers in regions that experience the highest levels of crime and violence, and are part of the Government of Jamaica’s Community Renewal Program. The focus of the G2G activity is to enhance the Grades 1-3 teachers' competence in the teaching of phonological awareness, phonics and vocabulary; and to improve Grades 1-3 students' performance in the fundamentals of reading instruction. The activity also seeks to further equip school principals and education officers in the effective management of literacy instructions in the schools that they supervise; implement gender based instruction; and improve the tracking and monitoring of literacy resources and programs of the MOE. Parents also benefit under this project as they are provided with basic knowledge and skills and strategies on literacy development so that they can better impact their children's progress in education.

Several countries located in Central America and the Caribbean registered some of the highest homicide rates in the Latin American region in 2022. Jamaica ranked first, with around 53.34 homicides committed per 100,000 inhabitants. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines came second, with 40.41 homicides per 100,000 people. The source defines intentional homicide as the unlawful death inflicted upon a person with the intent to cause death or serious injury. When it comes to the total case count, Brazil was the Latin American country with the largest number of homicide victims. Central America and the falling rates El Salvador was commonly named the murder capital of the world for a few years. The inability of previous governments to control organized crime and gangs resulted in the highest homicide rate in the world for a couple of years. Nonetheless, the current administration and the measures applied during the Emergency State had an incredibly positive impact in terms of the security of the Salvadorean citizens. But not only El Salvador has seen a considerable reduction in its murder rate in Central America. Honduras and Guatemala are also two great examples of crime reduction, introducing new policies, institutions, and changes to their judicial system to achieve better results.
The Caribbean still ridden by crime Some islands in the Caribbean are not only known as tax heavens, as some nations in the region are considered the main enablers of tax evasion in the world, but also for being ridden by crime. Haiti is one example of the still rising levels of criminality. As a country with precarious conditions and extreme food insecurity, the homicide rate has been on the rise for almost four consecutive years. Another one is Jamaica, the top of the Latin American ranking, that has also seen an increase in the youth involved in organized crime due to lack of employment and economic conditions.

In between the time frame displayed there has been high peaks resulting in a short increase at the end of the period in the sexual violence rate for Jamaica. The highest value registered was in 2012 with a 103 cases per 100.000 inhabitants.

This data asset contains one dataset of survey responses from youth beneficiaries of LPD programming. LPD programming focuses on building the capacity of Jamaican institutions, civil society organizations (CSOs) and key public and private partners to become more effective in advancing collaborative, evidence-based youth crime and violence prevention strategies that mobilize and sustain targeted secondary and tertiary prevention efforts. The purpose of this performance evaluation is to (1) determine the extent to which the LPD activity’s strategic approach improved the resilience of targeted youth, their families, and communities to crime and violence; (2) assess the degree to which targeted local organizations are able to implement evidence-based programming to improve activity outcomes; and (3) examine the extent to which private sector engagement may improve the sustainability of youth crime and violence prevention interventions.

Between 2020 and 2023, motor vehicle theft has fluctuated around 3,00 and 4,000 thefts per year in the Dominican Republic. In 2023, 3,328 vehicle thefts.

Saint Kitts and Nevis saw a murder rate of 65 per 100,000 inhabitants, making it the most dangerous country for this kind of crime worldwide as of 2023. Interestingly, El Salvador, which long had the highest global homicide rates, has dropped out of the top 20 after a high number of gang members have been incarcerated. Meanwhile, Celaya in Mexico was the most dangerous city for murders. Violent conflicts worldwide Notably, these figures do not include deaths that resulted from war or a violent conflict. While there is a persistent number of conflicts worldwide, resulting casualties are not considered murders. Partially due to this reason, homicide rates in Latin America are higher than those in Afghanistan or Syria. A different definition of murder in these circumstances could change the rate significantly in some countries. Causes of death Also noteworthy is that murders are usually not random events. In the United States, the circumstances of murders are most commonly arguments, followed by narcotics incidents and robberies. Additionally, murders are not a leading cause of death. Heart diseases, strokes and cancer pose a greater threat to life than violent crime.

Jamaica JM: Rule of Law: Estimate data was reported at -0.156 NA in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of -0.203 NA for 2016. Jamaica JM: Rule of Law: Estimate data is updated yearly, averaging -0.365 NA from Dec 1996 (Median) to 2017, with 19 observations. The data reached an all-time high of -0.156 NA in 2017 and a record low of -0.454 NA in 2010. Jamaica JM: Rule of Law: Estimate data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Jamaica – Table JM.World Bank.WGI: Country Governance Indicators. Rule of Law captures perceptions of the extent to which agents have confidence in and abide by the rules of society, and in particular the quality of contract enforcement, property rights, the police, and the courts, as well as the likelihood of crime and violence. Estimate gives the country's score on the aggregate indicator, in units of a standard normal distribution, i.e. ranging from approximately -2.5 to 2.5.

Abstract

The 2001 census was a de jure census i.e. it sought to identify the population usually resident in the area, whether physically present or not, at the time of the census. The census included all persons, Jamaican and non-Jamaicans whose usual place of residence was in Jamaica, even if they were temporarily (less than 6 months) abroad at the time of the census. Visitors and foreign diplomats were excluded.

Geographic coverage

National coverage

Analysis unit

• Individuals;
• Household.

Universe

All persons living in Jamaica

Kind of data

Census/enumeration data [cen]

Sampling procedure

As it was a census, there was no sampling for the enumeration. However, while there was full enumeration on items considered basic, a sample enumeration was done for those topics requiring more intensive interviewing and processing. The sample was administered to all persons resident in 10 percent of the enumeration districts.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

Three structured questionnaires were used to collect the data. 1. Form PC01A for household information - Roster of household members - Housing structure, tenure, facilities and amenities - Migration and mortality - Exposure to crime and violence - Business activity in household. 2. Form PC01B for the entire population. - demographic characteristics - chronic illness and disability - birthplace and residence 3. Form PC01C representing 10% sample of the population. In addition to all information in PC01B, training, economic activity and fertility.

Cleaning operations

Editing of records were done after data had been electronically processed. Edit checks included range checks, and check to ensure that certain key questions such as identification, age and sex were completed.

Sampling error estimates

Not applicable

Brazil led the list with a total of 4,390 kidnapping cases in the latest available data. Ecuador followed with 1,246 occurrences in 2022. On the flip side, there was only three reported kidnapping in the Antigua and Barbuda during that year. Homicides, another recurrent problem in Latin America Among the region's prevalent offenses, intentional homicide emerged as one of the main concerns in the region. Nonetheless, the rates vary among the different countries. Brazil leads the ranking of the most number of homicides in Latin America, as well as being the most populated country by far. On the other hand, Jamaica holds the top position according to the homicide rate, reporting nearly 61 instances per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023. Nevertheless, even with these varying homicide rates across countries, four out of five of the world's most perilous urban centers are situated in Mexico, with Colima leading the pack at a 2024 homicide rate of 140 per 100,000 inhabitants.

Cost of violence in Central America Following criminal acts, the responsibility for addressing the consequences falls squarely on the government, causing government expenditure to surge, called the cost of violence. Notably, Panama is more severely impacted in Central America, with the economic cost of violence per inhabitant accounting for over 3,771 U.S. dollars in 2022. In terms of a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), El Salvador takes the first place with a value of 15 percent of their GDP.