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.

The term femicide refers to the killing of a woman or girl, in particular by a man, on account of her gender. In 2021, there were around 9.3 femicides per 100,000 population in Jamaica.

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.

In 2022, an estimated 800 femicides were reported across European countries. Femicide, which refers to the gender-related killing of women and girls, represents the most extreme cases of violence against women. In this year there were estimated to have been 120 femicides in Italy, 118 in France, 113 in Germany and 83 in Spain.

In 2022, an estimated 1,174 femicides were reported in Russia, making it the European country with the highest number of such crimes. Femicides, defined as the gender-based killing of women and girls, represent the most extreme form of violence against women. That same year, Turkey, and the United Kingdom ranked second and third, with 327 and 110 cases, respectively.

State of Mexico was the federal entity with the highest number of femicides in the homonymous country in 2024. In that year, at least 73 women were murdered in the state of Mexico on account of their gender. In Nuevo Leon, 60 femicide victims were registered, the third-highest figure of the country. These two Mexican states accounted for around 17 percent of all femicides committed in Mexico that year.

In 2022, it was estimated that the national femicide rate in Mexico stood at 1.43 cases per 100,000 women. Three years earlier, the number of Mexican women murdered on account of their gender reached the highest rate at least since 2017, exceeding 1.5 victims per 100,000 female inhabitants. Femicides still on the rise Ranked as the second-highest nation for femicides in Latin America, just below Brazil, Mexico's cases show a considerable improvement, recording over 797 in 2024, the third year in a row with a decreasing figure. Nonetheless, this count is perceived as even higher by most of the population due to the substantial number of unreported and uninvestigated instances. The prevalent concern among the public centers around the consistent nature of these aggressive crimes. A disconcerting pattern emerges, with many perpetrators having familial or communal affiliations. In response, the government has introduced social initiatives, including helplines, but the outcomes have fallen short of expectations. Moreover, the government's lack of interest and effectiveness has spurred social activism, advocating for justice and enhanced safety measures for the female population. Gender gap in the economy Embedded within a cultural framework marked by entrenched sexist attitudes, stereotypes, and patriarchal norms, Mexico holds the 33rd position on the global gender index. This index underscores a heightened gender disparity concerning economic participation, culminating in a widening gender pay gap. Over time, female labor force participation has consistently trailed that of their male counterparts, with women predominantly occupying informal employment positions and accounting for around two-thirds of the female population working non-remunerated jobs. Furthermore, glaring disparities are more evident in media and governmental roles.

n 2024, 888 women were murdered in Colombia because of their gender. Between 2019 and 2020, the number of femicides increased from 571 to 630. This increase of more than ten percent occurred during the social isolation measures taken after the COVID-19 outbreak. In September of 2020 alone, 85 women in Colombia were victims of femicide. Antioquia is usually the department with the highest number of femicides in the South American country.

The feminicide rate per 100,000 women in Costa Rica declined to 0.9 percent in 2023. Nevertheless, the last two years recorded a significantly higher rate than the preceding years.For more insights about the feminicide rate per 100,000 women consider different countries: In 2023, in comparison to Costa Rica, the rate in Mexico was higher and in Honduras it was considerably higher.

Over 80,000 women were murdered worldwide every year since 2010 except for 2020. Moreover, the number is likely to be higher due to a lack of reporting. A majority of the victims were women or girls killed by a husband, partner, or family member.

From January to December 2024, a total of 797 murders were classified as femicides in Mexico. This type of homicide is defined as the killing of a woman or girl on account of their gender. The number of Mexican women who were victims of femicide grew considerably throughout the studied period. In Latin America, Brazil was the country with the highest number of femicides.

In 2023, the northwestern state of Rondônia had the highest femicide rate in Brazil. Almost three of every 100,000 women who lived in those territories were murdered on account of their gender during that year. The average femicide rate was estimated at 1.4 victims per 100,000 women in Brazil.

During 2024, a total of 13 girls and teenagers died as a result of femicide in Peru. Adults women were the main victims of femicide in the South American country. Most murders were carried out by the partner or ex-partner of the victim.

Colima was the Mexican state with the highest femicide rates in 2024. In that year, almost five of every 100,000 women who lived in Morelos were murdered on account of their gender. The state of Chihuahua was also among the 15 regions with the worst femicide rates, with 2.35 femicides per 100,000 female inhabitants, well above the national average of 1.18. When it comes to absolute figures, the State of Mexico was the Mexican state with the largest number of femicide victims.

In 2021, a total of 256 murders were classified as femicides in Argentina. Two years earlier, 327 femicide victims were documented, the highest number of such cases since 2016. Buenos Aires was the province with most femicides in Argentina that year. This type of homicide is defined as the murder of a woman or girl on account of their gender. In Latin America, Brazil is the country with the highest number of femicides.

The number of women murdered on account of their gender in Argentina reached 267 from January to December 2024. December was the deadliest month for women in this South American country, as at least 33 victims of femicide were registered that year.On March 20, 2020 the government of Argentina imposed a nationwide lockdown due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. During lockdowns there has been a growth in domestic violence and sexual abuse reports in Latin America. Argentina registered a 70 percent increase in phone calls to the family violence helpline in April of that year.

In 2023, the feminicide rate per 100,000 women in the Dominican Republic decreased by 0.5 percentage points (-17.24 percent) compared to 2022. This marks the lowest rate during the observed period. For more insights about the feminicide rate per 100,000 women consider different countries: In 2023, in comparison to the Dominican Republic, the rate in Uruguay as well as in Bolivia was lower.

In 2023, the feminicide rate per 100,000 women in Colombia did not change in comparison to the previous observation. The feminicide rate per 100,000 women remained at 0.7 percent. For more insights about the feminicide rate per 100,000 women consider different countries: In 2023, in comparison to Colombia, the rate in Argentina as well as in Costa Rica was higher.

From January to December 2024, the number of femicide cases reported in Chile was already 51. During the last decade, the highest number of femicides were recorded in 2017 with 69 cases.
Danger comes from the inside It may sound counterintuitive to say that the most dangerous place for women is inside their own home with family members or partners. Nonetheless, for victims of femicide that is the case. During 2022, almost 75 percent of all the femicides recorded in Chile, the perpetrator was either the current or ex partner of the victim. Figure that grows considering that in only 5.6 percent of the cases the victim had no reported relationship with their perpetrators. Moreover, the number of cases by place of occurrence shows a similar story, the most common place is the victim's own place of residence.

Homicides in Chile During 2023, almost two people in Chile every day were victims of homicide. The situation does not present a positive outlook for the decline in the number of cases. For the last couple of years, the homicide rate in the South American country has started to increase, going from 2.6 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 2019 to 4.5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023. After the wave of violence, the Chilean government started a program called "Streets with no violence" to try to stop the spread of criminal organizations and overall violent crime.

In 2019, France had the highest number of overall homicides in Europe at 835, with 285 of the victims being women. Germany had the second highest number of intentional homicides in that year, at 623 with 347 of those victims being male.