In 2023, almost 31.1 homicides were committed per 100,000 inhabitants in Honduras. This is the fourth consecutive year that the murder rate falls below 40 per 100,000 population since 2014, which was the deadliest year in the indicated period, at 66 homicides per 100,000 residents.

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.

In 2023, a total of 3,356 homicides were registered in Honduras, a considerable decrease compared to the 3,661 cases registered a year earlier. The highest number in the indicated period was recorded in 2012, with 7,172 homicides. Since then, the number of homicide cases have been experiencing a downward trend.

Honduras is one of the countries in Latin America and the Caribbean with the highest homicide rates. Roughly 3,659 people were murdered in Honduras in 2022. However, the number of homicides reported has been significantly decreasing since 2012, a year in which 7,172 people were killed.

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.

Honduras crime rate per 100K population for 2021 was 38.34, a 7.12% increase from 2020.

• Honduras crime rate per 100K population for 2020 was 35.79, a 12.93% decline from 2019.
• Honduras crime rate per 100K population for 2019 was 41.11, a 7.9% increase from 2018.
• Honduras crime rate per 100K population for 2018 was 38.10, a 5.08% 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.

From January to December 2023, Honduras registered a total of 3,035 homicides, from which the most frequent cause was due to personal issues and quarrel with a total of 1,404 cases. Other 1,087 homicides remained still in investigation of causes.

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.

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.

In 2023, there were approximately 2.4 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in El Salvador. Since 2015, when it stood at 103, the murder rate has been dropping annually in this Central American country. Crime current state The region has witnessed a substantial reduction in the number of homicides since 2015, resulting in the most common crimes becoming increasingly more centered on non-lethal offenses and material-related transgressions, which now pose the most prevalent threats. This shift is equally apparent across both genders, with the rate of femicides steadily declining, paralleling a consistent decrease in overall victimization rates. Consequently, El Salvador achieved the ranking of the third safest country within the Latin American homicide rate context. Notwithstanding these notable improvements, a lingering sense of caution endures among the populace, as nearly half of them remain apprehensive about the prospect of falling victim to criminal activities. Main economic problems Following an extended phase marked by elevated inflation, the region continues to grapple with challenges in its efforts to recover. The impact has been most pronounced on the prices of essential food items, rendering them increasingly unaffordable for a population where approximately 20 percent live under poverty conditions. Furthermore, the unemployment rate persists, with one out of every two individuals still seeking employment opportunities. A significant proportion, approximately 60 percent, remain apprehensive about job loss, recognizing the subsequent loss of their primary income source. In response, the government is envisaging an enhancement in both the employment rate and the GDP, albeit with a gradual recovery trajectory following the substantial downturn experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2020, around 14.3 thousand robberies and 3.5 thousand thefts were reported in Honduras. Both types of property crimes decreased more than 35 percent in comparison to the previous year. Since 2014, the highest number of robbery and theft cases was registered in 2018, at roughly 28.5 and 6.4 thousand, respectively.

During 2023, a total of 386 femicides were recorded in Honduras. Junes was the deadliest month by far, with 91 women murdered on account of their gender.

In 2020, at least 17 murders of land activists or environmentalists were documented in Honduras, making it the deadliest year to date. Two years earlier, the killings of four activists fighting in land conflicts or for environmental causes had been reported.

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.

Abstract

The World Bank is interested in gauging the views of clients and partners who are either involved in development in Honduras or who observe activities related to social and economic development. The World Bank Country Assessment Survey is meant to give the World Bank's team that works in Honduras, greater insight into how the Bank's work is perceived. This is one tool the World Bank uses to assess the views of its critical stakeholders. With this understanding, the World Bank hopes to develop more effective strategies, outreach and programs that support development in Honduras. The World Bank commissioned an independent firm to oversee the logistics of this effort in Honduras.

This survey was designed to achieve the following objectives: - Assist the World Bank in gaining a better understanding of how stakeholders in Honduras perceive the Bank;

• Obtain systematic feedback from stakeholders in Honduras regarding: · Their views regarding the general environment in Honduras; · Their overall attitudes toward the World Bank in Honduras; · Overall impressions of the World Bank's effectiveness and results, knowledge and research, and communication and information sharing in Honduras; · Perceptions of the World Bank's future role in Honduras.

• Use data to help inform Honduras country team's strategy.

Geographic coverage

National

Analysis unit

Stakeholder

Universe

Stakeholders of the World Bank in Honduras

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

In May-June 2013, 300 stakeholders of the World Bank in Honduras were invited to provide their opinions on the Bank's assistance to the country by participating in a country survey. Participants in the survey were drawn from the office of a minister; office of a Parliamentarian; employees of a ministry, ministerial department, or implementation agency; consultants/ contractors working on World Bank-supported projects/programs; project management units (PMUs) overseeing implementation of a project; local government officials or staff; bilateral and multilateral agencies; private sector organizations; private foundations; the financial sector/private banks; NGOs; community-based organizations; the media; independent government institutions; trade unions; academia/research institutes/think tanks; and other organizations.

Mode of data collection

Mail Questionnaire [mail]

Research instrument

The Questionnaire consists of 8 Sections:

A. General Issues Facing Honduras: Respondents were asked to indicate whether Honduras is headed in the right direction, what they thought were the top three most important development priorities in the country, and whether they think the Bank is effectively investing to support these priorities.

B. Overall Attitudes toward the World Bank: Respondents were asked to rate their familiarity with the World Bank, the Bank's effectiveness in Honduras, Bank staff preparedness to help Honduras solve its development challenges, their agreement with various statements regarding the Bank's work, and the extent to which the Bank is an effective development partner. Respondents were asked to indicate the Bank's greatest values, the most effective instruments in helping to reduce poverty in Honduras, with which stakeholder groups the Bank should collaborate more, and to what reasons respondents attributed failed or slow reform efforts.

C. World Bank Effectiveness and Results: Respondents were asked to rate the extent to which the Bank's work helps achieve development results in Honduras, the extent to which the Bank meets Honduras's needs for knowledge services and financial instruments, and the Bank's level of effectiveness across sixteen development areas, such as education, anti-corruption, job creation/employment, and crime and violence.

D. The World Bank's Knowledge: Respondents were asked to indicate how frequently they consult Bank knowledge and research, to rate the effectiveness and quality of the Bank's knowledge and research, including how significant of a contribution it makes to development results and its technical quality, and to rate how effective the Bank is at providing linkage to non-Bank expertise.

E. Working with the World Bank: Respondents were asked to rate their level of agreement with a series of statements regarding working with the Bank, such as the World Bank's "Safeguard Policy" requirements being reasonable, the Bank imposing reasonable conditions on its lending, disbursing funds promptly, increasing Honduras's institutional capacity, and providing effective implementation support.

F. The Future Role of the World Bank in Honduras: Respondents were asked to indicate what the Bank should do to make itself of greater value, what would be the most valuable ways the Bank could support Honduras's efforts to see through pro poor growth, and what would be the most valuable ways the Bank could support the country's efforts to decrease the levels of crime and violence in Honduras.

G. Communication and Information Sharing: Respondents were asked to indicate how they get information about economic and social development issues, how they prefer to receive information from the Bank, and their usage and evaluation of the Bank's websites. Respondents were asked about their awareness of the Bank's Access to Information policy, past information requests from the Bank, and their level of agreement that they use more data from the World Bank as a result of the Bank's Open Data policy. Respondents were also asked about their level of agreement that they know how to find information from the Bank, that the Bank's websites are easy to navigate and useful, and that the Bank is responsive to information requests. Respondents were also asked to indicate what connection they primarily use when visiting a Bank website, whether they use/have used the Bank's Public Information Centers (PICs) in Honduras, and whether they find the Bank's PIC a valuable source of information related to the development in Honduras.

H. Background Information: Respondents were asked to indicate their current position, specialization, whether they professionally collaborate with the World Bank, their exposure to the Bank in Honduras, and their geographic location.

Response rate

A total of 130 stakeholders participated in the survey (43% response rate).

In 2023, the countries in Central America with the highest cost of violence as a percentage of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was Honduras with 14 percent. Followed by El Salvador and Guatemala with 10 and 9 percent respectively.

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, the victimization rate in El Salvador decreased by six percentage points (-30 percent) compared to 2020. Therefore, the rate in El Salvador saw its lowest number in that year with 14 percent. For more insights about the victimization rate consider different countries: In 2023, in comparison to El Salvador, the rate in Venezuela was higher and in Honduras it was considerably higher.

In 2023, the percentage of the population aged over 18 who is very afraid of being a victim of crime in El Salvador decreased by 16 percentage points (-57.14 percent) compared to 2020. Therefore, 2023 marks the lowest percentage of population during the observed period. For more insights about the percentage of the population aged over 18 who is very afraid of being a victim of crime consider different countries: In 2023, in comparison to El Salvador, the percentage of population in Panama as well as in Honduras was considerably higher.