Homicide Rate in the United States

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Crime in the U.S. has been documented since settlement. Crime rates have changed over time, with rapid growth after 1900, reaching a sizeable bulging top within the 1970s and early 1990s. Since then, crime has decreased significantly.

In the 1990s, crime rates began to decline. This trend continued throughout the decade and into the early 2000s. Several factors have been attributed to this decline, including improved economic conditions, changes in policing strategies (such as community policing and CompStat), and stricter sentencing laws.

Throughout the 2010s, crime rates remained relatively stable, with some fluctuations in certain types of crimes. Advances in technology, such as surveillance cameras and predictive policing, continued to play a role in crime prevention efforts.

Generally, the United States has higher crime rates compared to many other developed countries, particularly in terms of violent crimes such as homicide and robbery.

The maps below show the comparison homicide rate in the U.S, EU, and other countries. Homicide rates – Number of intentional homicides per 100,000 population per year.

A comparison of homicide rates in the US and Europe

Top 20 US states and EU countries with highest homicide rates:
1. Lousiana
2. Mississippi
3. Maryland
4. South Carolina
5. Alaska
6. Alabama
7. Delaware
8. Tennessee
9. Nevada
10. Arkansas
11. Oklahoma
12. Georgia
13. Lithuania
14. Michigan
15. Illinois
16. Indiana
17. New Mexico
18. North Carolina
19. Florida

Top 20 US states and EU countries with lowest homicide rates
1. Austria
2. Netherlands
3. Ireland
4. Spain
5. Luxemburg
6. Poland
7. Czech Republic
8. Italy
9. Greece
10. Germany
11. Hungary
12. Slovakia
13. United Kingdom
14. Malta
15. Portugees
15. Denmark
16. New Hampshire
17. Sweden
18. Slovenia
19. Cyprus
20. Hawaii

Murders in the U.S.

The map below shows a shocking fact, the United States (population – 327.2 million) has the same number of murders as all the countries in red combined (total population: 2.31 billion). The countries in red have as many murders combined as the U.S.

Number of murders:
US: 17,250
China: 8,634
Indonesia: 1,292
Germany: 963
France: 875
UK: 791
Canada: 611
Italy: 400
Japan: 362
South Korea: 356
Spain: 294
Poland: 256
Romania: 247
Australia: 227
Belgium: 220
Hungary: 202
Taiwan: 192
Lithuania: 153
Israel: 110
Sweden: 106
Netherlands: 94
Greece: 84
Bulgaria: 81
Finland: 78
Latvia: 67
Portugal: 66
Czech Republic: 65
Austria: 57
Slovakia: 57
Denmark: 56
New Zealand: 45
Switzerland: 45
Croatia: 44
Estonia: 42
Ireland: 38
Hong Kong: 28
Norway: 27
Singapore: 18
Cyprus: 13
Slovenia: 10
Luxembourg: 4
Malta: 4
Iceland: 1

The homicide rate varies a lot from state to state.

The U.S. states with the highest murder rates typically include places like Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Missouri. These states often have higher rates of poverty, inequality, and issues related to drug trafficking and gang violence.

Conversely, states with the lowest murder rates tend to be those with smaller populations and lower levels of urbanization, such as Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. These states often have tighter-knit communities and lower levels of income inequality, which can contribute to lower rates of violent crime.

In 2018, the murder rate in the United States was 5 per 100 thousand, for a sum of 15.5 thousand murders. But the number of murders varied greatly from state to state. Almost half of the U.S. states have a higher murder rate than Russia.

But the most dangerous country to live in the world is Brazil. Brazil has nearly 60 thousand murders a year, which is as many as the United States, China, all of Europe, Northern Africa, Japan, Indonesia, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand combined.

A comparison of homicide rates between Brazil, U.S., and EU

What are the primary causes of the high homicide rate in the U.S.?

The high homicide rate in the United States can be attributed to a complex interplay of factors. Socioeconomic issues such as poverty, inequality, and lack of access to education and resources contribute to the prevalence of violence in certain communities. Drug-related violence, particularly associated with the illegal drug trade and gangs, also plays a significant role.

The widespread availability of firearms in the U.S. is another major factor, as the presence of guns can escalate conflicts and increase the lethality of violent encounters. Social and cultural factors, including the normalization of violence in media and the breakdown of community and family structures, can also contribute to higher homicide rates.

Additionally, disparities in the criminal justice system and policing practices have been cited as contributing factors, with some arguing that aggressive policing tactics and racial biases in law enforcement can exacerbate tensions and lead to higher rates of violence.