Homicide rate in Europe 2021, by country
In Europe, the Baltic countries of Latvia and Lithuania had the highest homicide rates in 2021. Of these, Latvia had the highest rate, reaching almost 5.2 intentional homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. Meanwhile, the lowest homicide rate was found in Malta, amounting to only 0.39 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants.
The most dangerous country worldwide
El Salvador is the world's most dangerous country to live in in terms of murder rate. The Latin American country had a homicide rate of 52 per 100,000 inhabitants. Seven of the 10 countries with the highest murder rates worldwide are located in Latin America and the Caribbean. Whereas Tijuana in Mexico was listed as the city with the highest murder rate worldwide, Zamora 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 Afghanistan or Ethiopia. A different definition of murder in these circumstances could change the rate significantly.