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.

Venezuela crime rate per 100K population for 2021 was 19.31, a 34.4% decline from 2020.

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<li>Venezuela crime rate per 100K population for 2020 was <strong>29.43</strong>, a <strong>28.2% decline</strong> from 2019.</li>
<li>Venezuela crime rate per 100K population for 2019 was <strong>40.98</strong>, a <strong>14.58% decline</strong> from 2017.</li>
<li>Venezuela crime rate per 100K population for 2017 was <strong>47.98</strong>, a <strong>15.26% decline</strong> from 2016.</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.

Venezuela VE: Intentional Homicides: Female: per 100,000 Female data was reported at 6.277 Ratio in 2012. This records an increase from the previous number of 5.451 Ratio for 2011. Venezuela VE: Intentional Homicides: Female: per 100,000 Female data is updated yearly, averaging 5.221 Ratio from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2012, with 13 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6.671 Ratio in 2002 and a record low of 3.891 Ratio in 2001. Venezuela VE: 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 Venezuela – Table VE.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.; ;

In 2020, the capital city Caracas ranked third in the ranking of most violent Venezuelan metropolises, with a murder rate of nearly ** per 100,000 inhabitants. The list was headed by Cumaná with a homicide rate of *****.

Venezuela VE: Intentional Homicides: per 100,000 People data was reported at 56.333 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 61.910 Ratio for 2014. Venezuela VE: Intentional Homicides: per 100,000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 40.847 Ratio from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2016, with 20 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 61.910 Ratio in 2014 and a record low of 18.400 Ratio in 1997. Venezuela VE: 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 Venezuela – Table VE.World Bank.WDI: 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;

Venezuela VE: Intentional Homicides: Male: per 100,000 Male data was reported at 101.510 Ratio in 2012. This records an increase from the previous number of 90.431 Ratio for 2011. Venezuela VE: Intentional Homicides: Male: per 100,000 Male data is updated yearly, averaging 84.821 Ratio from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2012, with 13 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 101.510 Ratio in 2012 and a record low of 59.724 Ratio in 2001. Venezuela VE: 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 Venezuela – Table VE.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.; ;

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.

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.

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.

In 2024, there were approximately 12.9 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in Panama, up from 11.5 a year earlier. In 2014, the murder rate stood at 15 victims per 100,000 citizens, the highest level registered in the indicated period. Overall, Panama's homicide rates were still below those of Mexico, Venezuela, and Haiti, for instance.

In 2023, it was estimated that approximately 6.52 people were murdered every 100,000 inhabitants in Suriname. The homicide rate registered in this other South American countries such as Brazil and Venezuela exceeded by over fivefold the rate in Suriname.

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.

The rate of civilians killed by police in the Venezuela is far higher than in comparable developed democratic countries, with 1,830 people killed by police per 10 million residents in 2025. This compares to 69 deaths per 10 million residents in Canada, and seven in Australia - perhaps the two most comparable countries to the United States in many respects. Country with the most prisoners The El Salvador is the country with the largest number of prisoners per capita. This suggests either that they have the most criminals, or that the police make more arrests and judges hand down jail as a more frequent punishment. Costa Rica has the highest burglary rate, seeing almost three times as many break-ins as in the United States, for example. Does weapon ownership contribute to higher number of violent attacks? Other factors may also be at play. One such factor may be gun ownership. If police shootings are more likely to happen in states with a higher number of registered weapons, one could argue that the threat of violence against police makes officers more likely to utilize deadly force. However, countries like Canada also have a high number of individual firearms licenses, indicating that this factor likely does not explain the entire effect. Social factors may also influence this statistic, such as the use of the death penalty. Still, each fatal incident is complex, and the full situation surrounding each involves many factors, meaning that a simple solution is unlikely.