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.

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.

Historical dataset showing Latin America & Caribbean crime rate per 100K population by year from 2010 to 2021.

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.

Number, percentage and rate (per 100,000 population) of homicide victims, by racialized identity group (total, by racialized identity group; racialized identity group; South Asian; Chinese; Black; Filipino; Arab; Latin American; Southeast Asian; West Asian; Korean; Japanese; other racialized identity group; multiple racialized identity; racialized identity, but racialized identity group is unknown; rest of the population; unknown racialized identity group), gender (all genders; male; female; gender unknown) and region (Canada; Atlantic region; Quebec; Ontario; Prairies region; British Columbia; territories), 2019 to 2024.

The average for 2017 based on 97 countries was 7.4 homicides per 100,000 people. The highest value was in El Salvador: 61.8 homicides per 100,000 people and the lowest value was in Japan: 0.2 homicides per 100,000 people. The indicator is available from 1990 to 2017. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Historical dataset showing Latin America & Caribbean murder/homicide rate per 100K population by year from 2010 to 2021.

In 2024, the Mexican city of Colima was the second most deadly city in the world, with a murder rate of ****** per 100,000 inhabitants. * out of the top 10 cities with over ******* habitants and the highest homicide rates were located in Mexico.

The Latin American public safety market, valued at $51.11 million in 2025, is poised for significant growth, exhibiting a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.40% from 2025 to 2033. This expansion is driven by several key factors. Rising crime rates across major Latin American cities are compelling governments to invest heavily in advanced technologies for improved surveillance, crime prevention, and emergency response. Furthermore, increasing adoption of cloud-based solutions offers scalability and cost-effectiveness, fueling market growth. The market is segmented by component (software – encompassing location management, record management, investigation management, crime analysis, and criminal intelligence – and services), deployment mode (on-premise and cloud), and end-user industry (medical, transportation, law enforcement, firefighting, and others). The increasing prevalence of sophisticated cybercrime necessitates robust cybersecurity measures within public safety systems, further boosting demand for specialized software and services. Government initiatives promoting digital transformation and smart city projects are also contributing positively to market expansion. However, challenges such as budgetary constraints in certain regions and the need for robust data privacy regulations could act as potential restraints. The significant market share held by law enforcement agencies is expected to remain prominent throughout the forecast period. The robust growth trajectory is fueled by the increasing adoption of integrated security systems offering comprehensive solutions. Companies like Cisco, Esri, Genetec, Honeywell, and Motorola Solutions are major players, leveraging their expertise in advanced technologies to cater to the evolving needs of Latin American public safety agencies. The market is witnessing a transition towards cloud-based solutions driven by their inherent flexibility and enhanced accessibility. This trend is particularly pronounced in regions with improved internet infrastructure. The presence of established players alongside emerging technology providers ensures a competitive market, spurring innovation and driving down costs. Continued investment in research and development of cutting-edge technologies will be crucial in shaping the market landscape and effectively addressing the escalating security challenges in the region. Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia are anticipated to represent significant portions of the market, reflecting their larger populations and higher crime rates. Recent developments include: February 2024: Irisity, a Swedish AI and video analytics software provider, increased investments in Latin America, focusing on public security, transportation, and mission-critical infrastructure. The company supplies technology in countries like Mexico and Argentina and supports emergency services in Ecuador and the Dominican Republic. Additionally, Irisity collaborates with the Uruguayan security firm Grupo Securitas. The regional strategy includes bolstering brand recognition, expanding the team, and fostering partnerships with integrators, resellers, and camera manufacturers., June 2023: Hexagon AB's Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial division launched a new Citizen Reporting portal for its HxGN OnCall Records suite. The portal allows citizens to file police reports online, search for incident records, request services, and view incident maps. According to the company, this public-facing portal aims to streamline interactions between citizens and law enforcement agencies, increase transparency, and alleviate staffing challenges that public safety agencies and local governments face.. Key drivers for this market are: Increasing Investments in Advanced Cybersecurity Technologies to Protect Sensitive Data, Critical Infrastructure, Stringent Government Regulations to Invest in Safety Measures to Enhance Safety. Potential restraints include: Increasing Investments in Advanced Cybersecurity Technologies to Protect Sensitive Data, Critical Infrastructure, Stringent Government Regulations to Invest in Safety Measures to Enhance Safety. Notable trends are: Software Component to Hold Significant Market Share.

Among the selected capitals of Latin America and the Caribbean, Port-au-Prince ranked first by far with the highest homicide rate. In total, around 139.31 homicides were recorded per 100,000 inhabitants. On the other hand, Santiago de Chile, Buenos Aires, and Sucre ranked with the lowest rates in the region.

Context

This dataset looks at the number of movies produced in the United States of America that fall into the "crime" genre between 1985 and 2017 and compares it to violent crime rates of the same time. The time frame was chosen based off of accessible data (The Movies Dataset ends with 2017 and the FBI's CDE tool starts at 1985).

The data for the movies and genres was pulled from "The Movies Dataset" on Kaggle where columns were adjusted and the first two genres were kept. The data was then filtered to only include films released in the United States of America from 1985-2017. Violent crime data and population data in the USA was then joined.

Tableau Public Visualization

Content

movies-to-crime_data_by_population_1985-2017_2023-03-06.csv: This file contains the filtered and sorted data joining together the rest of the included data.

movies_data_cleaned_V2.csv: This includes a large movie dataset that was pulled from the aforementioned "The Movies Dataset" and adjusted for usability for this project, find original dataset here.

population_data_1985-2017.csv: This data was pulled from the World Bank, Population, Total for United States [POPTOTUSA647NWDB], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

violent_crime_rates_USA_1985-2017_2024-03-06.csv: This data was pulled from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's "Crime Data Explorer" tool. Data pulled includes all violent crime 1985-2017. More information concerning how violent crimes are categorized can be found on the Crime Data Explorer's website linked above.

Acknowledgements

All data was sourced via publicly available datasets and linked to above. Special thanks to Kaggle user Rounak Banik for their work creating "The Movies Dataset" which was incredibly helpful.

Inspiration

This project was a side project to gain further practice with tools such as SQL, R, Tableau and spreadsheets. It began with a focus on authors of crime novels vs amount of actual criminals. The project soon morphed into this after a struggle to find usable datasets.

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.

Latin America's Video Surveillance market was USD 2707.71 million in 2024 and is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.1% from 2024 to 2031. The market is foreseen to reach USD 5487.2 million by 2031 due to the rising crime rates and the need for improved public safety measures.

Latin America's home control and security systems market was USD 2807.13 million in 2024 and is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.4% from 2024 to 2031. The market is foreseen to reach USD 5439.4 million by 2031 due to the rising crime rates.