2024 Latin America Homicide Rate: Which Country Had the Lowest Rate?

By Eddie Galdamez  | Updated on February 28, 2025
Homicide Rate in Latin AmericaLatin America.

In 2024, Latin America experienced about 109,994 murders, leading to a median homicide rate of 18.4 per 100,000 people. While most Latin American countries saw rate declines, the statistic highlights the ongoing challenges of violence in the region.

The countries with the lowest Homicide rate in Latin America in 2024 were El Salvador, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, and Peru.

On the other hand, Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia, Honduras, and Brazil recorded the highest homicide rates in the region.

Homicide Rate in Latin America
Country 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2023-2024
1 El Salvador 35.8 21.2 18.1 7.8 2.4 1.89 -21.3% ▼
2 Bolivia 4.2 3.6 3.5 4.0 3.6 3.0 -16.7% ▼
3 Argentina 5.0 4.6 4.6 4.2 4.4 3.8 -13.6% ▼
4 Chile 2.6 3.7 3.6 6.7 6.3 5.5 -12.7% ▼
5 Peru 8.5 8.3 4.3 4.5 4.4 6.0 36.4 ▲
6 Uruguay 9.8 9.3 8.5 10.8 10.7 10.6 -0.9% ▼
7 Panama 11.2 11.6 12.8 11.4 12.5 12.9 3.2% ▲
8 Guatemala 21.5 15.3 16.6 17.3 16.7 16.1 -3.6% ▼
9 Costa Rica 11.0 11.2 11.5 12.8 17.2 16.7 -2.9% ▼
10 Mexico 27.0 27.0 26.0 26.0 24.0 19.3 -19.6% ▼
11 Brazil 19.7 19.3 18.5 23.1 22.3 21.1 -5.4% ▼
12 Honduras 41.2 37.6 38.6 38.1 34.4 25.3 -26.5% ▼
13 Colombia 25.4 24.3 26.8 26.2 25.9 25.4 -1.9% ▼
14 Venezuela 60.3 45.6 40.9 17.7 26.8 26.2 -2.2% ▼
15 Ecuador 6.7 7.7 14.0 25.9 44.5 38.8 -12.8% ▼
16 Nicaragua 7.5 4.4 5.7 6.7 6.2
16 Paraguay 6.2 6.6 7.4 8.0 6.2

For the second consecutive year, El Salvador recorded the lowest homicide rate in Latin America, with 114 total murders in 2024, resulting in a rate of 1.89 per 100,000 people. This marks a 21.3% decrease from the previous year.

On the contrary, Ecuador had the highest homicide rate in the region in 2024, recording 6,986 murders, equating to a rate of 38.8 per 100,000 people. On a positive note, this represents a 12.8% murder rate decrease from the previous year.

It’s important to note that El Salvador excludes certain deaths from its homicide rate, such as those resulting from confrontations between authorities and suspected gang members, as well as murders involving bodies found in mass graves.

El Salvador Real Estate

By excluding these deaths, El Salvador’s homicide rate may seem lower than it actually is.

SEE ALSO: El Salvador Homicide Rate: The Lowest in Latin America

Latin America Homicide Rate Winners & Losers

In 2024, Honduras and El Salvador stood out as the biggest homicide rate drop winners, with decreases of 26.5% and 21.3%, respectively, marking significant progress in improving public safety.

Homicides in Honduras continued to fall markedly in 2024, with a murder rate of 25.3. Bright spots include the country’s two largest cities, Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, where murder rates halved between 2022 and 2024. InSight Crime.

In contrast, Peru (36.4%) and Panama (3.2%) registered the highest percentage increases in homicide rates, highlighting growing violence challenges in both countries, especially Honduras.

El Salvador Beaches

Peru’s homicide rate remains relatively low, but the country has continued to grapple with rising violence, ending 2024 with a 36.4% increase, the most extensive percentage increase outside the Caribbean.

In Peru, organized crime-related violence last year revolved around illegal mining and extortion. Groups that were focused on illegally extracting gold in Peru made record profits, but that came with more violence, as groups attacked security forces and formal mining companies. InSight Crime.

SEE ALSO: Living in El Salvador: Top Reasons for Moving to El Salvador

In conclusion, 2024 saw El Salvador leading with the lowest homicide rate of 1.89, while Ecuador struggled with the highest at 38.8. These stark contrasts highlight ongoing challenges in the region.