Top 10 · safety
Top 10 countries with the lowest homicide rate
Deaths by assault per 100,000 population. UNODC / WHO data, each country's latest year, 2001–2023, covering 175 countries.
The top 10
1st of 175 · 2023
Singapore0.1 per 100k
The other end · bottom 5 of 175
- 171stSouth Africa43.7 per 100k
- 172ndEcuador45.7 per 100k
- 173rdJamaica49.4 per 100k
- 174thSaint Vincent and the Grenadines51.3 per 100k
- 175thSaint Kitts and Nevis64.2 per 100k
Where the big countries land
- 121stUnited States5.8 per 100k
- 12thChina0.5 per 100k
- 93rdIndia2.8 per 100k
- 37thGermany0.9 per 100k
- 158thBrazil19.3 per 100k
Common questions
Questions people ask about homicide rate
Which country has the lowest homicide rate?
Singapore ranks 1st of 175 countries at 0.1 per 100k (2023 data). Source: UNODC / WHO.
Which countries are in the top 10 for homicide rate?
The top 10 are Singapore, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Japan, Kuwait, Senegal, Indonesia, Vanuatu and South Korea — computed from UNODC / WHO data, each country's latest year, 2001–2023.
Where does the United States rank in homicide rate?
The United States ranks 121st of 175 countries at 5.8 per 100k (2023 data). Source: UNODC / WHO.
What is the median homicide rate worldwide?
Across the 175 countries covered, the median is 2.5 per 100k. Values run from 0.1 per 100k (Singapore, ranked 1st) to 64.2 per 100k (Saint Kitts and Nevis, ranked 175th).
Is homicide rate higher in Europe or the US?
The median across 45 European countries is 1.1 per 100k, against 5.8 per 100k in the United States — it is higher in the US. Source: UNODC / WHO.
Which country has the highest homicide rate?
Saint Kitts and Nevis sits at the other end of the list: 64.2 per 100k ranks 175th of 175 (2023 data). Source: UNODC / WHO.
Keep ranking
Keep exploring
More on safety
- Gun deathsFirearm deaths per 100,000 population, all intents (homicide, suicide, accident).
- Incarceration ratePeople held in prison per 100,000 population.
- Road deathsRoad traffic fatalities per 100,000 population.
- Robbery ratePolice-recorded robberies per 100,000 population.
- Police officersPolice personnel per 100,000 population.
- Life expectancyPeriod life expectancy at birth.
Who leads the world
- Monacotops life expectancy86.5 years
- Singaporetops gun deaths0 per 100k
- Bulgariatops paid maternity leave59 weeks
Singapore leads on homicide rate — see where it lands on every other measure, and which US state it most resembles.
From the blog: WHO, UNODC, and the problem of counting deaths · Census, BEA, CDC, BLS: why US state data is unusually good
All 68 measures →Every country ranked →Every US state →All the Top 10s →The overall board →How we read the data →