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.

Several countries located in Central America and the Caribbean registered some of the highest homicide rates in the Latin American region in 2023. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines ranked first, with around 51.32 homicides committed per 100,000 inhabitants. Jamaica came in second with 49.44 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 is 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, at 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.

As of September 2020, almost ** percent of cyber-attacks in the Latin American countries included in the study had targeted users or infrastructures located in Brazil, while approximately ** percent were directed at users in Mexico. Colombia came in third, with over *** percent of cyber-attacks. Greater connectivity, greater vulnerability As internet access and use continues to expand across Latin America, so are the challenges and vulnerabilities regarding cybersecurity. In the first half of 2020, the region recorded the world’s highest cyber-attack rates, with nearly ***** times more attacks via mobile browsers than the global average. While the rapid growth and complexity of network attacks represent a major challenge for the sector, the shortage of trained IT professionals adds a layer of difficulty for organizations in Latin America to tackle these security gaps. Brazil as ground zero for cyber-attacks Among the most emblematic cyber-attacks in recent years are those carried out by hacktivist movement 'Anonymous Brazil' against government sites of the county during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Although this case drew particular attention given the magnitude of both the event and the attacks delivered, this is far from being an isolated incident in the history of digital strikes to public institutions in Brazil. In fact, in 2019, the Latin American country recorded the highest number of attacks in the region against web apps in the sector. To ensure a safe, reliable, and resilient cyberspace, in February 2020, the Brazilian government implemented its first National Cybersecurity Strategy.

Translated and Tidy dataset of official crime stats for the Country of Mexico.

Data Card for Mexican Crime Statistics Dataset

Title: Mexican Crime Statistics: Comprehensive Incident Dataset

Subtitle: An Extensive Compilation of Criminal Incidents in Mexico, Sourced from Official Government Data

Source: Official Mexican Government Website

Description: This dataset is a compilation of criminal incidents reported across Mexico. It includes detailed records of various criminal activities, offering insights into crime patterns and trends in different regions. The dataset is ideal for analysis in criminology, public policy, and data science.

• Dataset Description:

year: The year when the crime was reported. This is a numeric field representing the calendar year (e.g., 2015).

entity_code: A numeric code representing a specific entity (state or region) within Mexico. Each number corresponds to a unique entity.

entity: The name of the Mexican state or region where the crime occurred. This is a textual field (e.g., Aguascalientes).

affected_legal_good: A categorical field describing the broad category of the legal good (i.e., personal or societal interest) affected by the crime. Examples include 'Personal freedom' and 'Sexual freedom and security'.

type_of_crime: A categorical field indicating the general type of crime. This field is more specific than 'affected_legal_good' but less specific than 'subtype_of_crime'. Examples include 'Abduction', 'Sexual abuse', and 'Robbery'.

subtype_of_crime: A further categorization of the type of crime. This field provides more specific details within the general type of crime. Examples include 'Sexual Harassment', 'Simple Rape', and 'Home Burglary'.

modality: The specific nature or method of the crime. This field details how the crime was committed or any specific characteristic that differentiates it within its subtype. Examples include 'With violence', 'Without violence', 'Sexual Bullying'.

month: The month when the crime was reported. This is a textual field representing the month (e.g., January).

count: The number of reported incidents for the specific crime type, subtype, and modality in the given entity and month. This is a numeric field

• Dataset Composition:

Type of Data: Structured data, CSV format Number of Records: Shape (332416, 9) Date Range: 2015-2023 ( up to October) Nov - Dec not release yet

• Use Cases:

Intended Use: Research in criminology, public policy analysis, crime trend analysis Example Analyses: Crime rate trends over time, regional crime analysis, type of crime frequency analysis

• Data Collection Method:

Collection Process: Data aggregated from official crime reports and records maintained by the Mexican government Data Authenticity: Sourced from Gobierno de Mexico

• Data Quality:

Accuracy: Official - part of the Mexican Government's push for openness Completeness: Comprehensive coverage of reported incidents within the specified period Limitations: Possible underreporting or inconsistencies in crime reporting across regions. Nov 2023- Dec 2023 not release yet

• Maintenance Plan:

Update Frequency: Quarterly (or as new data becomes available)

Interactive heatmap showing the most pressing issues facing Latin American countries. Compare top concerns including crime, economy, corruption, and more across the region.

Can crime victimization increase support for iron-fist crime-reduction policies? It is difficult to assess the political effects of crime, mainly because of the presence of unmeasured confounders. I use panel data from Brazil and strategies for reducing sensitivity to hidden biases to study how crime victims update their policy preferences. Additionally, I use survey data from 18 Latin American countries to improve the external validity of the findings. I find that crime victims are more likely to support iron-fist or strong-arm measures to reduce crime, such as allowing state repression. Also, I show that affected citizens attach less value to democracy, and that might explain their willingness to accept the erosion of basic rights in favor of radical measures to combat delinquency. These results reveal that exposure to crime can change what people think the state should be allowed to do, which can have important political implications.

Honduras was the Latin American country with the highest femicide rate as of 2023. In that year, it was estimated that around seven women were murdered on account of their gender per 100,000 female population in this Central American country. Chile recorded one of the lowest femicide rates, at 0.4 victims every 100,000 women. In that same year, Brazil registered the largest number of femicide cases in the region.

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.

In 2023, Brazil registered a total of 1,463 murder cases that were classified as femicide, or the killing of a woman or girl on account of their gender. Meanwhile, the number of women killed on account of their gender in Mexico reached 852 in that same year.

Latin America Thermal Imaging Systems Market was valued at USD 2.91 Billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 5.33 Billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 7.85% from 2026 to 2032.

Key Market Drivers

Increasing Industrial Safety Regulations and Compliance: The installation of stronger workplace safety rules throughout Latin America is encouraging the usage of thermal imaging devices. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), workplace accidents in Latin America cost around 4% of yearly GDP, prompting increased safety measures.

Growing Security and Surveillance Requirements: Rising security concerns in Latin American countries have increased the use of thermal imaging equipment. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reports that Latin American countries boosted their security technology investments by 32% between 2018 and 2022.

Some of the most populous countries in Latin America were also the nations that register the highest number of murders. Brazil was the country with the largest number of intentional homicides in the region with 44,367 victims. Mexico came in second, with 33,287 homicide victims, followed by Colombia with over 13,000 victims.

Number, percentage and rate (per 100,000 population) of homicide victims, by racialized identity group (total, by racialized identity group; racialized identity group; South Asian; Chinese; Black; Filipino; Arab; Latin American; Southeast Asian; West Asian; Korean; Japanese; other racialized identity group; multiple racialized identity; racialized identity, but racialized identity group is unknown; rest of the population; unknown racialized identity group), gender (all genders; male; female; gender unknown) and region (Canada; Atlantic region; Quebec; Ontario; Prairies region; British Columbia; territories), 2019 to 2024.

In 2022, Colombia was the deadliest Latin American country for land activists and environmental defenders. Up to 60 such activists were murdered in Colombia in that year. Small-scale farmers, indigenous and afro-descendent people were the main targets of these crimes. Meanwhile, in Mexico, at least 31 environmentalists were killed. Brazil also made it into this infamous list, with 34n environmentalist or activist murdered.

Colombia ranked second as the country with the largest number of new displacements caused by conflicts in 2024, with a total of 388,000 new displacements. Despite the region not being at war, gang violence, organized crime, and drug trafficking have turned Latin American countries into the most dangerous countries in the world. High murder rates, physical violence, extortion, death threats, kidnappings and femicides prompt the Latin Americans to flee their homes.

According to the web application attacks observed in June 2019, the Latin American country suffering the largest number of attacks in a period of seven days was Brazil, with a approximately 8.3 million web application attacks directed towards websites in the country. Second-ranked Argentina was victim of close to 1.8 million attacks.

Crime is one of the most pressing issues faced in Mexico. In 2023, there were nearly ***** victims of theft or robbery on the street or public transportation per 100,00 inhabitants. Fraud is the type of crime with the highest victimization rate in the Latin American country, with ***** victims per 100,000 inhabitants.

In 2023, the most frequent crimes in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina were robberies and thefts both with over 60,000 registered cases each. During a survey in 2024, crime ranked as the third main problem of Argentina according to public opinion, only surpassed by inflation and low wages. Prisoner population in Argentina Similar to the situation in Buenos Aires, the most prevalent crimes in Argentina were robberies, with approximately 362,566 cases reported in 2021, followed by thefts and threats. Given this prevalent crime environment, Argentina ranked as the 15th country with the largest number of prisoners worldwide in 2022. However, when population size is factored in, Argentina is ranked 19th among the Latin American countries, with 249 prisoners per 100,000 inhabitants. Femicides in Argentina Over the past years, the number of femicides in Argentina has seen an increase, totaling 308 as of 2023, almost 60 cases more than the previous year. Notably, a correlation has been identified among these murders, with a significant portion of them occurring at the victim's home, accounting for 46 percent. Additionally, 39 percent of femicide victims had a relationship with the perpetrator, often being partners.

According to the Corruption Perception Index, Uruguay was perceived as the least corrupt country in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2024, with a score of 76 out of 100. Venezuela, on the other hand, was found to be the Latin American nation with the worst perceived level of corruption, at 10 points. A role model for Latin American democracy Uruguay has many factors contributing to its low public perception of corruption, from high average income levels to a close-knit urban population. At the forefront is the South American country's adherence to good governance and democracy. In fact, in 2024, Uruguay was ranked as the 13th most democratic country in the world. Going hand in hand with trust in institutions is the prospect of equal opportunities for Uruguayans social advancement. In this area, Uruguay is also ranked as the country in Latin America with the highest social mobility index score. A population in need of reconciliation Corruption has long been an issue souring Latin America. Many experts in the region believe it to be the biggest hindrance to their countries. At the top of this list is Peru, with the largest share of Latin American respondents who think corruption is their country's main problem, followed by Colombia and Brazil. In light of a history of drug trafficking and guerrilla warfare, the number of Colombians who believe that the corrupt elite has captured their political system ranks as the highest in the world. To overcome the consequences of this reputation, the Colombian government has made significant efforts to pass anti-corruption legislation, such as the Colombian Penal Code and the Anti-Corruption Act.

In 2023, robbery or theft on the street or public transportation accounted for **** percent of the total crime cases committed in Mexico. Extortion was the third most common type of crime in the Latin American country, accounting for around **** percent of the cases in that year.

Of the Latin American countries included in the study, Mexico registered the highest number of scams in 2019: approximately **** million. Brazil came second with nearly ***** thousand and Argentina third, with almost ** thousand.