In 2023, a total of 42,013 homicides were registered in Mexico, over 800 murder victims less than the death toll reported a year earlier. The number of homicides in Mexico, including intentional homicides and cases of manslaughter, grew between 2015 and 2018, before plateauing around 44,000 victims per year.

Kidnapping in Mexico In Mexico, even with a 20 percent reduction in the kidnapping rate, which amounted to 463 reported cases in 2023, the region continues to witness the distressing reality of five individuals being subjected to violent abduction daily. These heinous acts are chiefly perpetrated in various settings, including workplaces, residences, and public areas. Furthermore, the state with the highest recorded kidnapping incidence is Mexico State, marking a significant disparity in numbers. This dire situation positions the country as the third highest in terms of kidnapping occurrences throughout Latin America.

The increasing cases of human trafficking

Regarded as a grievous form of exploitation encompassing coerced labor or sexual servitude, the prevalence of human trafficking in the nation exhibits a disquieting escalation. This trend coincides with a decline in cases involving children, shifting the focus towards teens and adolescents, particularly females, who are now the primary target demographic. Perpetrators manipulate victims through deceitful practices and fraudulent schemes, effectively entrapping them in a web of organized criminal activities that deprive them of their freedom.

Mexico murder/homicide rate per 100K population for 2021 was 28.18, a 3.46% decline from 2020.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Mexico murder/homicide rate per 100K population for 2020 was <strong>29.19</strong>, a <strong>0.42% decline</strong> from 2019.</li>
<li>Mexico murder/homicide rate per 100K population for 2019 was <strong>29.31</strong>, a <strong>0.92% decline</strong> from 2018.</li>
<li>Mexico murder/homicide rate per 100K population for 2018 was <strong>29.58</strong>, a <strong>13.28% increase</strong> from 2017.</li>
</ul>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 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.

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

Mexico MX: Intentional Homicides: Male: per 100,000 Male data was reported at 34.248 Ratio in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 29.307 Ratio for 2015. Mexico MX: Intentional Homicides: Male: per 100,000 Male data is updated yearly, averaging 22.261 Ratio from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2016, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 41.322 Ratio in 2011 and a record low of 13.965 Ratio in 2007. Mexico MX: 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 Mexico – Table MX.World Bank.WDI: 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.; ;

This project provides a comprehensive dataset on intentional homicides in Mexico from 1990 to 2023, disaggregated by sex and state. It includes both raw data and tools for visualization, making it a valuable resource for researchers, policymakers, and analysts studying violence trends, gender disparities, and regional patterns.ContentsHomicide Data: Total number of male and female victims per state and year.Population Data: Corresponding male and female population estimates for each state and year.Homicide Rates: Per 100,000 inhabitants, calculated for both sexes.Choropleth Map Script: A Python script that generates homicide rate maps using a GeoJSON file.GeoJSON File: A spatial dataset defining Mexico's state boundaries, used for mapping.Sample Figure: A pre-generated homicide rate map for 2023 as an example.Requirements File: A requirements.txt file listing necessary dependencies for running the script.SourcesHomicide Data: INEGI - Vital Statistics MicrodataPopulation Data: Mexican Population Projections 2020-2070This dataset enables spatial analysis and data visualization, helping users explore homicide trends across Mexico in a structured and reproducible way.

This dataset provides comprehensive information on the total number of victims of intentional homicide in Mexico from 1990 to 2023, disaggregated by sex and state. The dataset is structured according to the official government methodology, using the year and state of registration for consistency and comparability.Key features of the dataset include:Homicide data: Total counts of male and female victims, grouped by year and state.Population data: Corresponding male and female population figures for each state and year.Homicide rates: Calculated rates for male and female victims based on the provided population data.Sources:Homicide data: INEGI - Vital Statistics MicrodataPopulation data: Mexican Population Projections 2020-2070This dataset is valuable for researchers, policymakers, and analysts interested in studying homicide trends, understanding gender disparities in violence, and evaluating regional differences across Mexican states.

The number of organized-crime related homicides in Mexico amounted to 28,328 cases in 2020. This represents an increase of 21 percent in comparison to the previous year. However, 2019 recorded the largest rise of organized crime related violence in the last decade. In 2014, the quantity of murders stood below 8,000.

Intentional homicides (per 100,000 people) in Mexico was reported at 28.18 in 2021, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Mexico - Intentional homicides (per 100;000 people) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Mexico death rate for 2025 is 6.41, a 0.85% increase from 2024.

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<li>Mexico death rate for 2024 was <strong>6.35</strong>, a <strong>0.86% increase</strong> from 2023.</li>
<li>Mexico death rate for 2023 was <strong>6.30</strong>, a <strong>1.04% increase</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>Mexico death rate for 2022 was <strong>6.23</strong>, a <strong>1.04% increase</strong> from 2021.</li>
</ul>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.

This database adapts the Piccato, P., Hidalgo, S., & Lajous, A. (2008). Estadísticas del crimen en México: Series Históricas 1926—2008. for analysis in decades paired with Mexican National Statistics Institute Censuses (INEGI) by imputing the non-systematic absences of homicide rates with population growth rates. The database allows studying crime rates for homicide, rape, robbery, smuggling with socioeconomic data in Mexico through the second half of the XX Century.

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 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.

Mexico: Death rate, per 1000 people: The latest value from 2022 is 6.7 deaths per 1000 people, a decline from 9.41 deaths per 1000 people in 2021. In comparison, the world average is 8.37 deaths per 1000 people, based on data from 195 countries. Historically, the average for Mexico from 1960 to 2022 is 7.26 deaths per 1000 people. The minimum value, 4.95 deaths per 1000 people, was reached in 2002 while the maximum of 13.44 deaths per 1000 people was recorded in 1960.

Mexico MX: Number of Deaths Ages 15-19 Years data was reported at 9,823.000 Person in 2019. This records an increase from the previous number of 9,528.000 Person for 2018. Mexico MX: Number of Deaths Ages 15-19 Years data is updated yearly, averaging 8,424.000 Person from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2019, with 30 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 9,827.000 Person in 2011 and a record low of 7,242.000 Person in 2004. Mexico MX: Number of Deaths Ages 15-19 Years data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Mexico – Table MX.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Number of deaths of adolescents ages 15-19 years; ; 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; Aggregate data for LIC, UMC, LMC, HIC are computed based on the groupings for the World Bank fiscal year in which the data was released by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation.

Mexican cartels lose many members due to conflict with other cartels and arrests. Yet, despite their losses, cartels managed to increase violence for years. We address this puzzle by leveraging data on homicides, missing persons and arrests in Mexico for the past decade, along with information on cartel interactions. We model recruitment, state incapacitation, conflict and saturation as sources of cartel size variation. Results show that by 2022, cartels counted 160,000–185,000 units, becoming a top employer. Recruiting at least 350 people per week is essential to avoid their collapse due to aggregate losses. Furthermore, we show that increasing incapacitation would increase both homicides and cartel members. Conversely, reducing recruitment could substantially curtail violence and lower cartel size., Data obtained from Plataforma de Proyección de Datos Abierta, was processed to obtain a network structure. https://ppdata.politicadedrogas.org/ Trends were produced by solving a set of differential equations., Datasets are in a CSV format. Code is available for RStudio or R.

Mexico Number of Deaths: Durango data was reported at 9,857.000 Person in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 11,710.000 Person for 2022. Mexico Number of Deaths: Durango data is updated yearly, averaging 9,380.000 Person from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2023, with 14 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 13,945.000 Person in 2020 and a record low of 8,884.000 Person in 2012. Mexico Number of Deaths: Durango data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Institute of Statistics and Geography. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Mexico – Table MX.G010: Number of Deaths.

Mexico: The number of deaths per 1000 people, per year: The latest value from is deaths per 1000 people, unavailable from deaths per 1000 people in . In comparison, the world average is 0.00 deaths per 1000 people, based on data from countries. Historically, the average for Mexico from to is deaths per 1000 people. The minimum value, deaths per 1000 people, was reached in while the maximum of deaths per 1000 people was recorded in .

Number of Deaths: Mexico City data was reported at 65,265.000 Person in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 69,455.000 Person for 2022. Number of Deaths: Mexico City data is updated yearly, averaging 62,107.000 Person from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2023, with 14 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 107,292.000 Person in 2020 and a record low of 54,629.000 Person in 2011. Number of Deaths: Mexico City data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Institute of Statistics and Geography. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Mexico – Table MX.G010: Number of Deaths.

The homicide rate in Iceland varied between 2010 and 2022, from roughly 0.3 murders per 100,000 inhabitants in 2019, to 1.37 in 2020. In real figures, the total number of homicides reached five in 2020, an unusually high number for Iceland; since 1994 there were six years where no intentional homicides were committed in Iceland, although the last of these was in 2008. Iceland generally has one of the lowest homicide rates in Europe. The most dangerous countries in Europe and worldwide In Europe, Latvia had the highest murder rate in 2021 with 5.1 per 100,000 inhabitants. Malta had the lowest with 0.39. Worldwide, Saint Kitts and Nevis is the world's most dangerous country to live in in terms of murder rate. The Caribbean island country had a homicide rate of 65 per 100,000 inhabitants. Nine of the 10 countries with the highest murder rates worldwide are located in Latin America and the Caribbean. Celaya in Mexico was the city with the highest homicide rate worldwide. Victims of homicides In most of the European countries, a higher share of the victims of homicides are men. France was the country with the highest number of homicides on the continent, whereas Malta and Iceland had the lowest. France both had the highest number of female and male victims.