Countries With the Fastest Growth in Homicide rate (5-Year Change)
Change in Homicide rate over the five years to each country's latest year, in points (a share or rate is not shown as a % of itself). Only countries that rose are listed. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
Ecuador rose the most: by 39.9, from 5.83 per 100,000 people to 45.7 per 100,000 people in the five years to 2023. Haiti is second (+34.4), followed by American Samoa (+20). 53 countries rose over that period; the median change among them was +0.847.
- #1
- Ecuador · +39.9
- Median
- +0.847
- Coverage
- 53 countries
- Data year
- 2023
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | From | To | 5-year change (per 100,000 people) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ecuador | 5.83 | 45.7 | +39.9 |
| 2 | Haiti | 6.78 | 41.2 | +34.4 |
| 3 | American Samoa | 5.55 | 25.5 | +20 |
| 4 | St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 32.4 | 51.3 | +18.9 |
| 5 | St. Lucia | 20.9 | 39 | +18.1 |
| 6 | St. Kitts and Nevis | 48.9 | 64.2 | +15.2 |
| 7 | South Africa | 35.3 | 43.7 | +8.44 |
| 8 | Dominica | 19.1 | 27.1 | +7.99 |
| 9 | Trinidad and Tobago | 34.3 | 40.4 | +6.19 |
| 10 | Costa Rica | 11.8 | 17.7 | +5.95 |
| 11 | Guyana | 14 | 19.1 | +5.1 |
| 12 | Nicaragua | 7.27 | 11.3 | +4.08 |
| 13 | Jamaica | 45.7 | 49.4 | +3.73 |
| 14 | Grenada | 10.4 | 13.7 | +3.29 |
| 15 | Samoa | 3.03 | 6.26 | +3.24 |
| 16 | Cameroon | 4.16 | 6.76 | +2.6 |
| 17 | Eswatini | 10.1 | 12.5 | +2.42 |
| 18 | Panama | 9.62 | 11.7 | +2.09 |
| 19 | Chile | 4.37 | 6.35 | +1.98 |
| 20 | Seychelles | 6.23 | 7.97 | +1.74 |
| 21 | Luxembourg | 0.335 | 1.53 | +1.2 |
| 22 | Rwanda | 2.52 | 3.61 | +1.1 |
| 23 | Colombia | 23.8 | 24.9 | +1.09 |
| 24 | Dominican Republic | 9.91 | 10.9 | +1.01 |
| 25 | Bahamas, The | 31.2 | 32.2 | +0.955 |
| 26 | United States | 4.89 | 5.76 | +0.877 |
| 27 | Bhutan | 1.62 | 2.47 | +0.847 |
| 28 | Sri Lanka | 2.57 | 3.31 | +0.745 |
| 29 | New Zealand | 0.727 | 1.46 | +0.734 |
| 30 | Peru | 7.89 | 8.6 | +0.716 |
| 31 | Pakistan | 3.63 | 4.33 | +0.703 |
| 32 | Türkiye | 2.56 | 3.23 | +0.668 |
| 33 | Armenia | 1.72 | 2.21 | +0.49 |
| 34 | Sierra Leone | 1.76 | 2.22 | +0.462 |
| 35 | Iceland | 0.85 | 1.29 | +0.44 |
| 36 | Morocco | 1.42 | 1.71 | +0.282 |
| 37 | France | 1.06 | 1.34 | +0.273 |
| 38 | Macao SAR, China | 0.304 | 0.56 | +0.257 |
| 39 | Norway | 0.471 | 0.725 | +0.254 |
| 40 | North Macedonia | 1.3 | 1.53 | +0.226 |
| 41 | Canada | 1.78 | 1.98 | +0.205 |
| 42 | Azerbaijan | 1.96 | 2.16 | +0.199 |
| 43 | Suriname | 6.34 | 6.52 | +0.181 |
| 44 | Slovenia | 0.435 | 0.566 | +0.132 |
| 45 | Netherlands | 0.574 | 0.691 | +0.117 |
| 46 | West Bank and Gaza | 0.506 | 0.622 | +0.116 |
| 47 | Jordan | 0.898 | 0.988 | +0.089 |
| 48 | Poland | 0.714 | 0.802 | +0.088 |
| 49 | Sweden | 1.06 | 1.15 | +0.085 |
| 50 | Spain | 0.614 | 0.691 | +0.077 |
| 51 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1.15 | 1.22 | +0.073 |
| 52 | Croatia | 0.596 | 0.667 | +0.071 |
| 53 | Switzerland | 0.587 | 0.597 | +0.01 |
About the top 10
#1 Ecuador
Ecuador ranks #1 on this list with +39.9.
- Capital
- Quito
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 18.29 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$130.32 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$7,125 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 77.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 63.4% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Guayaquil, Quito.
Also ranks #5 in homicide rate · #9 in gini index · #9 in women in ministerial positions share.
#2 Haiti
Haiti ranks #2 on this list with +34.4.
- Capital
- Port-au-Prince
- Continent
- North America
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 11.91 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$32.08 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$2,694 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 65.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 55.6% of population (2025)
Also ranks #2 in prevalence of undernourishment · #4 in time to start a business (days) · #7 in homicide rate.
#3 American Samoa
American Samoa ranks #3 on this list with +20.
- Capital
- Pago Pago
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 46,029 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$871 million (2022)
- GDP per person
- US$18,017 (2022)
- Life expectancy
- 73 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 80.5% of population (2025)
Also ranks #8 in forest area share · #9 in voice and accountability score · #14 in homicide rate.
#4 St. Vincent and the Grenadines
St. Vincent and the Grenadines ranks #4 on this list with +18.9.
- Capital
- Kingstown
- Continent
- North America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 99,924 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.26 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$12,562 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 71.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 48% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in homicide rate · #5 in cereal yield · #6 in youth unemployment rate.
#5 St. Lucia
St. Lucia ranks #5 on this list with +18.1.
- Capital
- Castries
- Continent
- North America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 180,150 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$2.66 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$14,746 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 72.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 29.1% of population (2025)
Also ranks #9 in homicide rate · #9 in immunisation (dpt) rate · #13 in population ages 15-64 share.
#6 St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Kitts and Nevis ranks #6 on this list with +15.2.
- Capital
- Basseterre
- Continent
- North America
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 46,922 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.18 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$25,223 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 72.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 31.9% of population (2025)
Also ranks #2 in homicide rate · #3 in completion rate (primary) · #3 in completion rate (lower secondary).
#7 South Africa
South Africa ranks #7 on this list with +8.44.
- Capital
- Pretoria, Cape Town
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 64.75 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$427.18 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$6,598 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 66.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 63.8% of population (2025)
Largest cities: City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, Johannesburg, Cape Town.
Also ranks #2 in unemployment rate · #2 in youth unemployment rate · #2 in income share of richest 10%.
#8 Dominica
Dominica ranks #8 on this list with +7.99.
- Capital
- Roseau
- Continent
- North America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 65,871 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$723.86 million (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$10,989 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 71.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 74% of population (2025)
Also ranks #9 in forest area share · #9 in political stability score · #13 in homicide rate.
#9 Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago ranks #9 on this list with +6.19.
- Capital
- Port of Spain
- Continent
- North America
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 1.37 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$25.94 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$18,967 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 73.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 54% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in energy use per capita · #6 in co2 emissions per capita · #8 in homicide rate.
#10 Costa Rica
Costa Rica ranks #10 on this list with +5.95.
- Capital
- San José
- Continent
- North America
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 5.15 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$102.9 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$19,970 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 81 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 79.7% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in immunisation (dpt) rate · #4 in fertiliser consumption · #8 in women in parliament share.
Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.
Source and method
Change in Homicide rate over the five years to each country's latest year, in points (a share or rate is not shown as a % of itself). Only countries that rose are listed.
Source: The World Bank, indicator VC.IHR.PSRC.P5. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.
The World Bank: Intentional homicides (per 100,000 people): UNODC Research - Data Portal – Intentional Homicide, UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) (via World Development Indicators)
Original data provider, as recorded by the World Bank: UNODC Research - Data Portal – Intentional Homicide, UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Values are shown as published (changes are computed from the published values). Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.