Robberies have been the most common property crime reported in Trinidad and Tobago since 2019. At least 2,399 robbery cases were registered in 2024, down from 2,613 the year earlier. Overall, property crimes in Trinidad and Tobago have registered a considerable decrease between 2019 and 2021, just to go up again in 2022. More figures about crime in Caribbean countries can be found in this report.

In 2024, the homicide rate in Trinidad and Tobago stood at around 45.7 homicide victims per 100,000 population. The murder levels increased 8.1 points compared to a year earlier, when 37.6 homicides were registered per 100,000 inhabitants. In Latin America and the Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago had one of the highest homicide rates that year.

In 2023, it was estimated that around 7.44 people were murdered for every 100,000 inhabitants in Barbados. The homicide rate registered in this Caribbean country has decreased when compared to the previous year, when approximately 15.23 homicide victims per 100,000 population were reported.

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 2022, Grenada had the highest robbery rate in the Caribbean, with an estimated 2,163 incidents per 100,000 inhabitants. Dominica registered 1,279.95 such crime reports per 100,000 population, ranking second in the region.

Saint Lucia was the country with the highest vehicle theft rate in the Caribbean in 2022. That year, 169.58 car thefts were reported per 100,000 citizens in this island nation. The lowest auto theft rate was recorded in Grenada, at around zero reports per 100,000 inhabitants.

Historical dataset showing Latin America & Caribbean crime rate per 100K population by year from 2010 to 2021.

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.

Except for 2020, homicide levels had been growing in this Caribbean country at least since 2014. The homicide rate in Trinidad and Tobago also improved in 2020. In 2024, the numbers of murders drop again and a total of 625 occurrences were registered in the country.

Historical dataset showing Latin America & Caribbean murder/homicide rate per 100K population by year from 2010 to 2021.

In 2022, there were approximately 32.2 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in the Bahamas, up from a homicide rate of 30.02 registered a year earlier. Over 100 people die as a result of intentional homicide in this Caribbean country every year.

This table focuses on the victimisation of common crime of the population of the Caribbean Netherlands aged 15 and older in private households. These are traditional crimes such as violence, property crimes and vandalism. Breakdowns by sex, age and level of education are presented. These aspects are shown for the Caribbean Netherlands and also for the islands Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba separately. The research is a sample survey. This means that the figures shown are estimates for which reliability margins apply. These margins are also included in the table. The Omnibus survey was carried out for the first time on Bonaire, Saba and St Eustatius in 2013 during the month of June and the first week of July. For the second time the Omnibus survey was carried out on Bonaire during the months of October and November 2017, and on Saba and St Eustatius in the period January to March 2018.

Data available from: 2013

Status of the figures: The figures in this table are final.

Changes as of 4 April 2019 None, this is a new table.

When will new figures be published? New data will be published every four years.

Crime is a major problem in Latin America and the Caribbean. With 9 percent of the world's population, the region accounts for 33 percent of global homicides. This dataset makes extensive new survey data available to help identify what anti-crime policies citizens in the region demand from their governments, as well as who is demanding what and why. This dataset accompanies a recent report on Combating Crime in Latin America and the Caribbean, https://publications.iadb.org/en/combating-crime-latin-america-and-caribbean-what-public-policies-do-citizens-want. Data from Americas Barometer study were collected in 2016–17 and refer to the subsample of 17 countries in Latin America. The IADB–LAPOP–Capital Cities Project includes data collected from 2017, between August and September. A total of 6,040 interviews in seven countries were conducted as part of the project (Chile, Colombia, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and Uruguay). Methodology and Code variables definitions are available here: https://publications.iadb.org/en/what-public-policies-do-citizens-want-combating-crime-latin-america-and-caribbean-dataset

This table focuses on the victimization of common crime of the population of the Caribbean Netherlands aged 15 and older in private households. These are traditional crimes such as violence, property crimes and vandalism. Breakdowns by sex, age and level of education are presented. These aspects are shown for the Caribbean Netherlands and also for the islands Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba separately. The research is a sample survey. This means that the figures shown are estimates for which reliability margins apply. These margins are also included in the table. The Omnibus survey was carried out for the first time on Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius in 2013 during the month of June and the first week of July. For the second time the Omnibus survey was carried out on Bonaire during the months of October and November 2017, and on Saba and St. Eustatius in the period January to March 2018. Data available from: 2013 Status of the figures: The figures in this table are final. Changes as of 4 April 2019 None, this is a new table. When will new figures be published? New data will be published every four years.

In 2024, Puerto Rico recorded around 15.3 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. The homicide rate registered an increase of one point compared to the previous year. In 2019, the number of individuals killed per 100,000 population peaked at 20.1. At least 450 people are murdered every year in Puerto Rico.

This dataset is the main survey created for the publication "Past, Present, and Future of Crime and Violence Observations in Latin America and the Caribbean" (Related Publication Only Available in Spanish). This study examines the creation and evolution of crime and violence observatories in Latin America and the Caribbean, starting from the early 1990s. It explores their historical and conceptual development, maps out 66 observatories across 18 countries, and provides recommendations for their improved design, monitoring, and evaluation. The goal is to enhance their effectiveness in supporting public policies aimed at reducing crime and violence in the region.​

In 2024, the total number of people murdered in the Bahamas amounted to 120, up from 110 murders reported a year earlier. From 2012 to 2017, the number of victims remained well above 100. According to the latest data, it is estimated that around 31 people are murdered per 100,000 inhabitants in the Bahamas.

Citizen security remains one of the most pressing development challenges facing low- and middle-income countries around the globe. In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), for example—a region where homicide rates have consistently remained more than three times the global average (UNODC, 2023; InSight Crime, 2024)—crime and violence are estimated to cost approximately 3.4% of the region’s GDP (IDB, 2024), whereas research suggests that bringing the crime level in Latin America down to the world average would boost LAC’s average annual growth rate by 0.5 percentage points (IMF, 2023).

This Evidence Gap Map (EGM) focuses on citizen security interventions led or supported by police agencies, and maps existing impact evaluations and systematic reviews that examine the effectiveness of a wide range of policing interventions aimed at reducing crime, violence, disorder, overall insecurity, and their associated risk factors and underlying determinants. While some previous evidence maps have narrowly focused on specific strategies or contexts, this EGM takes a broader and more inclusive and comprehensive approach, covering a wide range of intervention types, settings, and outcome areas.

The EGM is available at: https://developmentevidence.3ieimpact.org/egm/IDB-policing-egm

By synthesizing rigorous evidence on what works, what doesn’t, and where gaps remain, the EGM aims to inform policymakers, practitioners, and researchers on the most effective uses of policing resources. It is intended to support evidence-informed decision-making, promote more effective allocation of public security investments, and ultimately contribute to safer communities and stronger economies across the LAC region and beyond.

This EGM was developed through a collaborative effort across multiple teams within the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and peer-reviewed, and visualized by the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie) in 2025 to ensure methodological rigor and transparency.

Project collaborators include Camilo Acosta, Sergio Britto Lima, Minji Kang, Indira Porto, Rodrigo Serrano Berthet, and Harold Villalba (listed alphabetically).

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.

Homicide rates per 100.000 inhabitants according to municipalities January-December year 2015