Jamaica is one of the most violent countries in the Caribbean. In 2024, there were approximately 40.1 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in the island nation. This was one of the highest homicide rate in Latin America and the Caribbean that year.

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.

The crime rate in Jamaica decreased overall throughout the displayed time frame. Nonetheless, the highest growth was registered in 2012, leading to the highest value: ***** cases per 100,000 inhabitants. By the end of 2023, this figure had decreased to ******.

Turks and Caicos Islands saw a murder rate of ***** per 100,000 inhabitants, making it the most dangerous country for this kind of crime worldwide as of 2024. Interestingly, El Salvador, which long had the highest global homicide rates, has dropped out of the top 29 after a high number of gang members have been incarcerated. Meanwhile, Colima 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.

Historical dataset showing Jamaica murder/homicide rate per 100K population by year from 1990 to 2021.

Jamaica JM: Intentional Homicides: Male: per 100,000 Male data was reported at 85.058 Ratio in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 76.415 Ratio for 2015. Jamaica JM: Intentional Homicides: Male: per 100,000 Male data is updated yearly, averaging 86.007 Ratio from Dec 2005 (Median) to 2016, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 109.756 Ratio in 2009 and a record low of 63.558 Ratio in 2014. Jamaica JM: Intentional Homicides: Male: per 100,000 Male data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Jamaica – Table JM.World Bank: Health Statistics. Intentional homicides, male are estimates of unlawful male 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.; ; UN Office on Drugs and Crime's International Homicide Statistics database.; ;

Jamaica JM: Intentional Homicides: per 100,000 People data was reported at 43.200 Ratio in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 36.100 Ratio for 2014. Jamaica JM: Intentional Homicides: per 100,000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 41.373 Ratio from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2015, with 21 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 62.500 Ratio in 2005 and a record low of 31.688 Ratio in 1995. Jamaica JM: Intentional Homicides: per 100,000 People data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Jamaica – Table JM.World Bank: Health Statistics. 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.; ; UN Office on Drugs and Crime's International Homicide Statistics database.; Weighted average;

In 2018, it was estimated that *** people were murdered per 100,000 inhabitants in Kingston, Jamaica. A year earlier, almost *** homicide victims per 100,000 population were reported in Jamaica's capital city. This Caribbean country has one of the highest homicide rates in the whole Latin American and Caribbean region.

Historical dataset showing Jamaica crime rate per 100K population by year from 1990 to 2021.

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.

Jamaica JM: Intentional Homicides: Female: per 100,000 Female data was reported at 9.330 Ratio in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 8.039 Ratio for 2015. Jamaica JM: Intentional Homicides: Female: per 100,000 Female data is updated yearly, averaging 9.777 Ratio from Dec 2005 (Median) to 2016, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 13.416 Ratio in 2005 and a record low of 6.953 Ratio in 2014. Jamaica JM: Intentional Homicides: Female: per 100,000 Female data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Jamaica – Table JM.World Bank: Health Statistics. Intentional homicides, female are estimates of unlawful female 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.; ; UN Office on Drugs and Crime's International Homicide Statistics database.; ;

Death rate, crude (per 1,000 people) in Jamaica was reported at 8.076 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Jamaica - Death rate, crude - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

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.

Among the cities depicted in this statistic, Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, registered the highest homicide rate as of 2023. An average of 118 people every 100,000 inhabitants in this city were reportedly murdered. In Kingston, the Jamaican capital, the homicide rate was estimated at 55.35.

Jamaica JM: Death Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data was reported at 6.980 Ratio in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 6.928 Ratio for 2015. Jamaica JM: Death Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 7.042 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 9.036 Ratio in 1960 and a record low of 6.355 Ratio in 1980. Jamaica JM: Death Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Jamaica – Table JM.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Crude death rate indicates the number of deaths occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.; ; (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision. (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Weighted average;

Jamaica JM: Lifetime Risk of Maternal Death: 1 in: Rate Varies by Country data was reported at 520.000 NA in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 500.000 NA for 2014. Jamaica JM: Lifetime Risk of Maternal Death: 1 in: Rate Varies by Country data is updated yearly, averaging 425.000 NA from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2015, with 26 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 520.000 NA in 2015 and a record low of 360.000 NA in 1990. Jamaica JM: Lifetime Risk of Maternal Death: 1 in: Rate Varies by Country data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Jamaica – Table JM.World Bank: Health Statistics. Life time risk of maternal death is the probability that a 15-year-old female will die eventually from a maternal cause assuming that current levels of fertility and mortality (including maternal mortality) do not change in the future, taking into account competing causes of death.; ; WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group, and the United Nations Population Division. Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990 to 2015. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2015; Weighted average;

This dataset is about countries per year in Jamaica. It has 64 rows. It features 4 columns: country, electricity production from natural gas sources, and death rate.

This scatter chart displays death rate (per 1,000 people) against self-employed workers (% of total employment) in Jamaica. The data is about countries per year.

Jamaica JM: Number of Death: Infant data was reported at 624.000 Person in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 649.000 Person for 2016. Jamaica JM: Number of Death: Infant data is updated yearly, averaging 1,652.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3,957.000 Person in 1960 and a record low of 624.000 Person in 2017. Jamaica JM: Number of Death: Infant data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Jamaica – Table JM.World Bank: Health Statistics. Number of infants dying before reaching one year of age.; ; Estimates developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, UN DESA Population Division) at www.childmortality.org.; Sum;

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.