According to InSight Crime’s 2024 Homicide Round-Up, about 11,700 people were killed in the Caribbean last year, resulting in a median homicide rate of 32.1 per 100,000 individuals.
Last year, the Caribbean’s homicide rate was 13.8 higher than Latin America’s 18.4. “The already violent Caribbean continued to roil in 2024, while Latin America saw a general decrease in the number of homicides,” remarked InSight Crime.
The countries with the lowest Homicide rate in the Caribbean in 2024 were the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Puerto Rico, Barbados, and Belize.
On the other hand, the Caribbean countries with the highest murder rate last year were Turks and Caicos, Haiti, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.
| Country | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023-2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dominican Republic | 13.2 | 11.5 | 9.6 | -16.5% ▼ |
| 2 | Guyana | 16.3 | 16.2 | 14.1 | -13.0% ▼ |
| 3 | Puerto Rico | 17.7 | 14.3 | 15.3 | 7.0% ▲ |
| 4 | Barbados | 15.3 | 7.4 | 17.7 | 139.2% ▲ |
| 5 | Belize | 28.4 | 19.2 | 21.7 | 13.0% ▲ |
| 6 | The Bahamas | 32.1 | 27.4 | 29.6 | 8.0% ▲ |
| 7 | Suriname | 7.7 | 6.2 | 29.9 | 382.3% ▲ |
| 8 | Jamaica | 53.1 | 49.3 | 40.1 | -18.7% ▼ |
| 9 | Saint Lucia | 42.0 | 41.7 | 42.8 | 2.6% ▲ |
| 10 | Trinidad and Tobago | 43.2 | 37.6 | 45.7 | 21.5% ▲ |
| 11 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 40.3 | 50.1 | 53.7 | 7.2% ▲ |
| 12 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 23.0 | 65.0 | 59.8 | -8.0% ▼ |
| 13 | Haiti | 18.9 | 40.9 | 62.0 | 51.6% ▲ |
| 14 | Turks and Caicos | 76.3 | 46.6 | 103.1 | 121.2% ▲ |
Last year, the Dominican Republic had the Caribbean’s lowest homicide rate at 9.6 per 100,000 people, a 16.5% drop from 2023 and its third consecutive year of decline.
On the other hand, Turks and Caicos recorded the highest homicide rate in the Caribbean and Latin America as well in 2024, reaching 103.1 per 100,000 people, a staggering 121.2% increase from the previous year.
Jamaica saw the largest drop in homicides in the Caribbean in 2024, with a 9.2-point decrease, reflecting an 18.7% reduction.
In contrast, Suriname experienced a staggering 382.3% surge in its homicide rate, rising from 6.2 in 2023 to 29.9 in 2024.
SEE ALSO: El Salvador’s Homicide Rate
The 2024 Caribbean’s homicide rate remained alarmingly high, exceeding Latin America’s by 13.8. While some nations saw declines, others faced surging violence, highlighting ongoing security challenges across the region.
