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.

Several countries located in Central America and the Caribbean registered some of the highest homicide rates in the Latin American region in 2023. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines ranked first, with around 51.32 homicides committed per 100,000 inhabitants. Jamaica came in second with 49.44 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 is 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, at 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.

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.

The Central American nation with the highest prison occupancy rate, as of April 2025, was Guatemala, when the level stood at almost 300 percent of its official capacity. Nicaragua followed with 177.6 percent of occupancy level. The lowest prison occupancy rate was found in Belize, which, with 67 percent, was the only country whose prison system was not overcrowded. That year, El Salvador had the highest prison population rate in Central America.

In 2025, Pietermaritzburg in South Africa ranked as the world's most dangerous city with a crime rate of 82 per 100,000 inhabitants. Five of the 10 cities with the highest crime rates worldwide are found in South Africa. The list does not include countries where war and conflict exist. South Africa dominates crime statistics When looking at crime rates, among the 10 most dangerous cities in the world, half of them are found in South Africa. The country is struggling with extremely high levels of inequality, and is struggling with high levels of crime and power outages, harming the country's economy and driving more people into unemployment and poverty. Crime in Latin America On the other hand, when looking at murder rates, Latin America dominates the list of the world's most dangerous countries. Violence in Latin America is caused in great part by drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and gang wars.

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 2023 in Central America, the highest cost of violence per capita in the countries displayed was Panama with ***** U.S. dollars. Followed by Costa Rica with approximately ***** USD.

The Global Peace Index 2024 ranked 163 independent states and territories based on their level of peacefulness. In 2024, Argentina scored 1.86 out of 5 points, placing the country in the 47th position in the global rank, and in 1st place within Latin America and the Caribbean. Uruguay and Costa Rica were ranked 2nd and 3rd in the region with 1.89 and 1.95 points, respectively.

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.

Some of the most populous countries in Latin America were also the nations that register the highest number of murders. Brazil was the country with the largest number of intentional homicides in the region with 44,367 victims. Mexico came in second, with 33,287 homicide victims, followed by Colombia with over 13,000 victims.

In 2025, Trinidad and Tobago had the highest press freedom score among countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Caribbean nation scored ***** points on a scale from 1 to 100. Jamaica followed with a score of ***** points. The index presents an overview of the plurality and independence of the media and how safe and free it is for journalists to do their job, with lower scores indicating a worse situation for the press and higher scores a better one. Press freedom laggards in the LATAM region Nicaragua, Cuba, Venezuela, and Honduras had the worst results in the region in 2025 - their scores stood below ** points. Unsurprisingly, due to the political situation in these four countries, journalism there experiences high restrictions imposed by the governments in order to stifle access to information. In one country, private press is actually prohibited by constitution – for that reason Cuba has seen only the lowest press freedom scores year after year. Honduras, one of the lowest-ranked countries on the index, has been noted to see declining press freedom scores since the coup d’etat in 2009. All in all, it comes as no surprise that trust in mass media in Latin America keeps deteriorating. Dangers of being a journalist in Latin America Mexico is considered the most dangerous country for journalist as it ranks high in terms of number of deaths not only in the Latin America region, but also the highest in the world. In 2022, Mexico was found to be the deadliest country for journalists worldwide, with more than ** representatives of the press being killed that year. Although the number dropped to * killings in 2024, the country still regularly ranks among the riskiest for media professionals. Colombia follows in the regional ranking, yet its figures remain significantly lower than those reported in Mexico.

In 2024, there were approximately 1.9 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 2022, Colombia was the deadliest Latin American country for land activists and environmental defenders. Up to 60 such activists were murdered in Colombia in that year. Small-scale farmers, indigenous and afro-descendent people were the main targets of these crimes. Meanwhile, in Mexico, at least 31 environmentalists were killed. Brazil also made it into this infamous list, with 34n environmentalist or activist murdered.

Colombia ranked second as the country with the largest number of new displacements caused by conflicts in 2024, with a total of 388,000 new displacements. Despite the region not being at war, gang violence, organized crime, and drug trafficking have turned Latin American countries into the most dangerous countries in the world. High murder rates, physical violence, extortion, death threats, kidnappings and femicides prompt the Latin Americans to flee their homes.

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.

Chile and Peru are among the countries most exposed to tsunamis in Latin America and the Caribbean. Between 2000 and 2022, tsunamis caused the largest death toll in Chile, most notably on February 27 of 2010, when *** people died and other ** went missing. In Peru, the deadliest tsunami occurred on June 23, 2001, claiming ** lives and causing other ** missing victims.

In Europe, the Baltic countries of Latvia and Lithuania had the highest and third highest homicide rates respectively in 2023. Latvia had the highest rate at over four per 100,000 inhabitants. Meanwhile, the lowest homicide rate was found in Liechtenstein, with zero murders The most dangerous country worldwide Saint Kitts and Nevis is the world's most dangerous country to live in in terms of murder rate. The Caribbean 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. Whereas Celaya in Mexico was listed as the city with the highest murder rate worldwide, Colima in Mexico was the city with the highest homicide rate in Latin America, so the numbers vary from source to source. Nevertheless, several Mexican cities rank among the deadliest in the world when it comes to intentional homicides. 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 countries such as Ukraine or the DR Congo. A different definition of murder in these circumstances could change the rate significantly.

Between June 2023 and May 2024, the most frequent crimes in El Salvador were thefts, with almost 7,000 cases. In total, the public prosecutors of El Salvador reported 15,620 high impact crimes, a considerable decrease when compared to the previous year. The number of offenses in some of the main categories of property crimes is significantly lower than in other years, for example, the number of thefts or robberies of vehicles transporting goods decreased by almost 60 percent in 2020 when compared with 2019. With these numbers, it is no surprise that the approval rate of the current government is over 85 percent. The falling homicide rate In 2015, the homicide rate in El Salvador was over 100 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, one of the highest figures in the world. Nonetheless, during the past years, the rate dropped to less than 20 homicides. El Salvador lived through two of the highest days of violence, with over 74 homicides on March 25th and 26th, 2022. Two days after, El Salvador's government declared a state of emergency to counter gang activity and try to end the wave of violence. Once more, the population seems to back up the government, with over 75 percent of Salvadorans declaring that they feel safe with the current emergency state. The economic cost of violence Violence and crime are two of the main problems society faces in El Salvador and the Central American region. In addition to the lack of security, it also generates economic losses, the cost of violence accounted for over 8,849 million USD in 2022, which is over 15 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country, almost double the global average. This figure represents the expenditure of a country to deal with the outcome of violence, contain it, and prevent it from spreading and continuing.

In 2024, 2,869 people were murdered in Guatemala. This is the lowest death toll of the last three years. Guatemala still has higher homicide rates than other Central American countries such as Panama and Costa Rica.

In 2024, there were nearly 26.20homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in the country, down from a homicide rate of 26.8 a year earlier. Since 2017, when it peaked, the homicide rate in Venezuela has been decreasing year after year.

Falling homicide rate but still higher than the Latin American average The country held the fifth position for the highest homicide rate in Latin America, recording 26.2 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in 2024, even after experiencing a steady decrease in the rate over the years. In line with this alarming rate, the Venezuelan city of Cumana was ranked as the 11th most dangerous city in the world in 2023, reporting a rate of 62.42. Among these homicide cases, the majority, approximately 5,800, are still under investigation, while the remainder falls into categories of closed cases, those resisting authority, or have been categorized as disappearances, painting a grim picture of the challenges faced in addressing violent crime.

Corruption in Venezuela In the corruption index, which ranges from 0 representing the worst case to 100 signifying no corruption, Venezuela has earned the unfortunate distinction of being the most corrupt country in Latin America, with a meager score of 10 in 2024. Moreover, the estimated corruption control score has been steadily declining, reaching -1.69 in 2024, where lower numbers indicate a higher degree of corruption, painting a worrisome picture. To compound matters, the risk of money laundering and terrorist financing has persistently remained at a high level, recording a score of 7.59 during 2024.