In 2023, there were 52,723 crimes in Mexico City per 100,000 inhabitants. This represented an increase after two of the lowest values reported the previous years. Furthermore, the number of crime victims per 100,000 inhabitants in Mexico City in 2023, made it the third federal entity with the highest victimization rate in Mexico that year.

A total of over four million crimes were committed in Mexico City in 2023. The northern and eastern regions were the areas that registered the largest number of crimes, with around a million each. The most common type of crime was theft or robbery on the street or public transport, which accounted for nearly a third of all committed crimes.

Colima was the city in Mexico that led the ranking of highest homicide rates in 2023. The city had a murder rate of approximately 140.32 per 100,000 inhabitants, followed by Ciudad Obregón, with a homicide rate of 117.83. That year, those two cities had the highest homicide rates not only in Mexico, but in Latin America and the Caribbean.

A total of 816 persons were murdered in Mexico City in 2024. The highest number of intentional homicides was registered in March 2023, with 83 victims.

In January 2024, the most usual type of crime reported in Mexico was domestic violence. In that month, the cases of this type of violence amounted to around 20,814 cases. Regarding property crimes, the highest number of occurrences were vehicle thefts, with nearly 11,887 reported crimes.

Domestic violence Domestic violence stands out as the crime with the highest incidence and, paradoxically, one of the least attended to by the government. Public spending allocated to combat domestic violence has been dismally low, with a value only around 25 percent of the spending on the military. Adding to the concern, this budget has witnessed a consistent decrease each year since 2015. This decline in resources has had severe consequences, leading to a surge in domestic violence crimes, with many resulting in homicides. It's noteworthy that the majority of registered femicides occur within the confines of closed domestic spaces and are often committed by the partners of the victims. This paints a concerning picture of the challenges faced in addressing and preventing domestic violence.

Mexico and the most violent cities in the world
Mexico hosts seven of the most dangerous cities globally, with Celaya ranking as the number one in terms of murder rate, registering a staggering 109.39 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants and the most of these other cities are concentrated in the upper region of the country, highlighting the significant regional variations in safety and security. On the other hand, the capital, Mexico City, has experienced a decreasing trend in crime incidence, with a notable decrease from 2018 to 2022, nonetheless, the crime rate is still high. As a result, crime and insecurity have become the primary concern for nearly half of the country's population, underscoring the pressing need for addressing these issues.

A total of over 234.474 crimes were reported in Mexico City in 2023. Cuauhtémoc was the municipality with the highest number of reported crimes, with over 33,000 cases. Followed by Iztapalapa and Gustavo A. Madero, the two most populous municipalities in Mexico City.

March 2023 ranked as the month with the highest number of reported crimes in Mexico City during the study period, with 22,125 cases. In contrast, December of that same year recorded the lowest figure with less than 17,000 reported crimes.

The border city of Tijuana was the Mexican municipality with the highest number of homicides, with 1,844 cases reported in 2023, a decrease when compared to the over 2,000 cases reported last year. Tijuana was followed by Ciudad Juárez, located south of El Paso, Texas, with a total of 1,246 homicides.

In 2023, the State of Mexico was the federal entity with the most crimes per 100,000 inhabitants in Mexico. That year, 32,798 crimes were registered, above Aguascalientes and Mexico City both with over 32,000 crimes. Economically, the cost of crime in Mexico surpassed 282 billion Mexican pesos.

The rate of crime prevalence in Mexico City increased by 0.6 thousand people per 100,000 inhabitants (+1.88 percent) in 2023 in comparison to the previous year. In total, the rate amounted to 32.5 thousand people per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023. This increase was preceded by a declining rate.For more insights about the rate of crime prevalence consider different countries: In 2023, in comparison to Mexico City, the rate in Sonora as well as in Baja California Sur was lower.

In 2024, Colima in Mexico ranked as the world's most dangerous city with a homicide rate of 140 per 100,000 inhabitants. Seven of the 10 cities with the highest murder rates worldwide are all found in Mexico. The list does not include countries where war and conflict exist. Latin America dominate murder statistics Except for Mandela Bay, all the cities on the list are found in Latin America. Latin America also dominate the list of the world's most dangerous countries. Violence in Latin America is caused in great part by drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and gang wars. Crime in South Africa Mandela Bay in South Africa is the only city outside Latin America among the 10 most dangerous cities worldwide. The country is struggling with extremely high levels of inequality, and is struggling with high levels of crime and power outages, harming the country's economy and driving more people into unemployment and poverty.

The number of people murdered in Mexico amounted to almost 33,300 in 2021, a slightly lower figure to the one registered one year earlier. Mexico ranked as the second Latin American country with the highest number of intentional homicides in 2022, only exceeded by Brazil.

In the last four years, May has been the most violent month in Mexico in three of them, exception for 2023, when June was the most violent month of the year. The peak of violence happened in May 2021, when an average of 150 people were murdered every day. On the other hand, October 2023 was the least violent month in this period of time, with an average of 125 people murdered daily.

The average number of crimes per victim in Mexico City increased by 0.1 crimes (+7.58 percent) in 2023 in comparison to the previous year. In total, the number amounted to 1.45 crimes in 2023. For more insights about the average number of crimes per victim consider different countries: In 2023, in comparison to Mexico City, the number in Nayarit as well as in Nuevo León was lower.

A total of over 234.474 crimes were reported in Mexico City in 2023, a significantly smaller figure than the estimate of the total number of crimes. The western and southern regions were the areas that registered the largest number of reported crimes.

The number of homicides in Mexico City peaked during 2019 with 1,997 cases. As of 2023, Mexico State and Guanajuato ranked as the federal entities with the highest number of homicides.

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.

In 2023, the Mexican city of Colima was the most deadly city in the world, with a murder rate of 140.32 per 100,000 inhabitants. 7 out of the top 10 cities with over 250,000 habitants and the highest homicide rates were located in Mexico.

In 2024, at least 65 women were murdered on account of their gender in Mexico City. That year, the country's capital ranked among the five federal entities with the largest number of femicides.

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.