In 2024, Puerto Rico recorded around 15.3 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. The homicide rate registered an increase of one point compared to the previous year. In 2019, the number of individuals killed per 100,000 population peaked at 20.1. At least 450 people are murdered every year in Puerto Rico.

San Juan was one of the most dangerous cities in the Caribbean, at least when it comes to the number of homicides. For instance, the Puerto Rican capital registered a total of 172 homicides in 2019. Like its capital, Puerto Rico ranked as one of the most dangerous countries in the Latin American and Caribbean region in 2020.

Up to 464 people died as a result of intentional homicide in Puerto Rico in 2023. The number of victims has decreased since the previous year, when 572 murders were reported in the Caribbean nation. Even though Puerto Rico still faces serious challenges in reducing crime and violence, the country has been able to decrease the murder levels registered at the beginning of the decade. For instance, 1,179 people were murdered in 2011 alone, making it the deadliest year in the indicated time period.