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3. WORLD MURDER STATISTICS: THE COUNTRIES - NEW JULY 2003
ALSO SEE - 2. WORLD MURDER
STATISTICS: THE CITIES AND METROPOLITAN AREAS [Click at top on: Return to the
information of general interest (Data Groups) table of contents.]
Murder
statistics are surprisingly hard to come by, and when you move out of the
developed world, especially into dictatorships, almost impossible. And the
reliability of those statistics that do exist, especially but not solely those
of unfree or underdeveloped countries, can sometimes be questioned. No
country is proud of its murders. If you don't realize how hard the numbers are
to find, pick a place and go to the Net now.
Another problem is that
some jurisdictions and countries lump involuntary manslaughter in with murder,
these two making up "homicide" statistics. Except sometimes such statistics are
still called "murder statistics". At other times involuntary manslaughter is
left out. And it's not always made clear which is the case. However, involuntary
manslaughter numbers are just a small percentage of overall homicide numbers, so
whether they're added in or not the "murder" numbers are not significantly
changed. Involuntary manslaughter is, of course, something of a legal fiction.
It's an intended killing done "without malice", or done "unmaliciously in the
heat of passion", or unintentionally while committing some sort of unlawful act.
Sometimes it's nothing more than the charge the prosecutor felt he could make
stick, even though a murder was the real act.
Over the years I've
accumulated murder statistics from various sources, and here I present what I've
come up with, raw. In some cases the sources disagree on a particular place in a
particular year. This could involve later re-categorization (it's decided a
murder was actually an accident, for instance), the discovery of new bodies, all
sorts of factors. I don't list my sources, in order to provide a fast, clean
visual look. But if you still want them, write me or e-mail and I'll provide
them. I am also most open to additions or corrections (but provide your
sources).
And my conclusions about
the murderous pageant to follow? I'll save conclusions for the essay portion of
my website. But just be aware-- these lists of murders-- are human passion,
hatred, fear, greed, moral deadness-- and above all failure.
ARGENTINA (1994 -34,179,000)
1994 - 1,541
ARMENIA (2000 - 3,344,000)
2000 - 127
AUSTRALIA (1991 - 16,850,000)
(2001 - 18,972,000)
1990's - 3,386
1994 - 332
1995 - 326
1996 - 312
1997 - 321
1998 - 285
1999 - 343
2000 - 302
2001 - 311
2002 - 318
AUSTRIA (1994 - 8,030,000)
1994 - 94
AZERBAIJAN (2000 - 7,748,000)
1995 - 148
2000 - 226
BELARUS (2000 - 10,367,000)
2000 - 1,013
BELGIUM (1990 - 9,967,000)
1990 - 141
BRAZIL (1993 - 160,737,000)
1988 CHILDREN 5-17:
5,644
1993 - 30,605
1998 - 35,659
2003 - Over 40,000 (about
90% by guns)
BULGARIA (1985 - 9,010,000)
(2000 - 7,797,000)
1980 - 372
1981 - 351
1982 - 374
1983 - 348
1984 - 361
1985 - 341
1986 - 313
2000 - 332
CANADA (1970 - 21,324,000)
(2000 - 31,278,000)
1971 - 426
1972 - 478
1973 - 475
1974 - 539
1975 - 701 (Another
source: 721)
1976 - 626
1977 - 707
1978 - 658
1979 - 631
1980 - 593
1981 - 647
1982 - 670
1983 - 682
1997 - 586
1998 - 558
1999 - 538
2000 - 542
2001 - 553
2002 - 582 (149 by gun;
two-thirds of these handguns. Before 1990, one-third of gun murders involved
handguns.
182 killed by family member, half of these the spouse.
44% of female victims killed by someone they were in a relationship with, only
8% for male victims.
Men 90% of accused and two-thirds of victims.
Almost two-thirds of accused had criminal records.)
CHILE (2000 - 15,154,000)
2000 - 235
COLOMBIA (2000 - 39,686,000)
1986 - About 11,000
1996 - 24,225
1998 - 23,096
1999 - 23,172 (90% of
killings went unpunished)
2000 - 26,539
2002 - 32,000+ (5,500
"politically motivated". 5,000 "social cleansing operations" against
gays, prostitutes and drug addicts, generally by right-wing paramilitaries.)
COSTA RICA (2000 - 3,711,000)
1999 - 245
2001 - 260
CZECH REPUBLIC (2000 - 10,272,000)
2000 - 174
DENMARK (2000 - 5,336,000)
1993 - 63
2000 - 58
DOMINICA (2000 - 72,000)
2000 - 2
EGYPT (1977 - 40,000,000)
(2000 - 68,360,000)
1977 - 1,353
1995 - 819 (52 were
"crimes of honor"-- killing a "fallen" female relative)
ENGLAND & WALES (Also see: United Kingdom) (1900 - 33,000,000)
(1950 - 44,000,000)
(1975 - 49,000,000)
(2000 - 54,000,000)
1890 (England alone?) -
About 377
1918-1939: Averaged about
300 a year
1938 - 100
1939 - 135
1940 - 115
1941 - 135
1942 - 159
1943 - 120
1944 - 95
1945 - 141
1946 - 347
1947 - 371
1948 - 341
1949 - 298
1950 - 346
1951 - 328
1952 - 400
1953 - 327
1954 - 311
1955 - 279
1956 - 315
1957 - 321
1958 - 261
1959 - 266
1960 - 282
1961 - 265
1962 - 299
1963 - 307
1964 - 296
1965 - 325
1966 - 364
1967 - 354
1968 - 360
1969 - 332
1970 - 339
1971 - 407
1972 - 409
1973 - 391
1974 - 526
1975 - 443
1976 - 488
1977 - 418
1978 - 471 (35 by guns)
1979 - 546
1980 - 549
1981 - 499
1982 - 557
1983 - 482
1984 - 537
1985 - 536
1986 - 563
1987 - 599
1988 - 547
1989 - 521
1990 - 555
1991 - 623
1992 - 581
1993 - 566
1994 - 632
1995 - 663
1996 - 585
1997 - 612
1998 - 612
1999 - 663
2000 - 728
ESTONIA (2000 - 1,431,000)
2000 - 143
FINLAND (1975 - 4,750,000)
(2000 - 5,167,000)
1970 - 56
1980 - 111
1990 - 145
1994 - 165
1995 - 146
1996 - 153
1997 - 139
1998 - 113
1999 - 142
2000 - 146
2001 - 155
2002 - 131
FRANCE (1893 - 38,219,000)
(2000 - 59,330,000)
1890 - About 662
1994 - 649
2000 - 1,051
GEORGIA (2000 - 5,020,000)
2000 - 239
GERMANY (2000 - 82,797,000)
1994 - 952
2000 - 960
GERMANY, EAST (1969 - 17,096,000)
1970 - 136
GREECE (2000 - 10,602,000)
1994 - 119
2000 - 81
GUATEMALA (1986 - 8,249,000)
1986 - About 2,400
GUN MURDERS (Handguns & Long Guns)
1993 U.S.A. -
16,189
1994 BRITAIN - 33
JAPAN - 38
U.S.A. - 13,673
HAITI (1998 - 6,781,000)
1994 - About 365
HANDGUN MURDERS
1974 JAPAN - 37 (34
by gangsters)
1980 AUSTRALIA - 4
BRITAIN - 8
CANADA - 8
ISRAEL - 23
JAPAN - 77
SWEDEN - 18
SWITZERLAND - 24
U.S.A. - 11,522
1988 BRITAIN - 7
CANADA - 8
SWEDEN - 19
SWITZERLAND - 53
U.S.A. - 8,915
1990 U.S.A. - 25 a
day (also - 575 gun robberies and 1,116 assaults daily)
1992 AUSTRALIA - 13
CANADA - 128
JAPAN - 60
SWEDEN - 36
SWITZERLAND - 97
UNITED KINGDOM - 33
U.S.A. - 13,429
1996 AUSTRALIA - 13
BRITAIN - 30
CANADA - 106
GERMANY - 213
JAPAN - 15
NEW ZEALAND - 2
U.S.A. - 9,390
HUNGARY (2000 - 10,139,000)
1994 - 362
2000 - 205
PRIOR TO 2002 - 3 killed
in bank robberies in 25 years
ICELAND (2000 - 276,000)
1999 - 5
INDIA (2000 - 1,014,004,000)
1999 - 37,170
PERSONS KILLED IN
COMMUNAL VIOLENCE 1954 - 1985:
1954 - 34
1955 - 24
1956 - 35
1957 - 12
1958 - 7
1959 - 41
1960 - 14
1961 - 108
1962 - 43
1963 - 26
1964 - 1,919
1965 - 34
1966 - 45
1967 - 251
1968 - 133
1969 - 673
1970 - 298
1971 - 103
1972 - 69
1973 - 72
1974 - 87
1975 - 33
1976 - 39
1977 - 36
1978 - 110
1979 - 261
1980 - 372
1981 - 196
1982 - 238
1983 - 1,143
1984 - 445
1985 - 328
MURDERS OF "UNTOUCHABLES"
("DALIT", "HARIJAN") PER DAY 2003 - 2
INDONESIA (2000 - 224,784,000)
2000 - 2,204
IRELAND (2000 - 3,797,000)
1991 - 22
1999 - 40 (Another
source: 38)
IRELAND, NORTHERN (includes political killings [except 1953, 1994[?]) (1978 -
1,540,000)
1953 - 3 (In some years
in the 1940's and 1950's there were none.)
1969-1985: 2,466
1970-1989: 2,787
1994 - 100
ISRAEL (1993 - 5,262,000)
1982 - 52 (includes
terrorism)
1993 - 122 (including
terrorism?)
ITALY (1893 - 29,700,000)
(1969 - 53,170,000)
(1992 - 56,765,000)
1890 - About 2,470
1976 - 700
1989 - 1,500
1992 - 1,277
2000 - 746
JAMAICA (2000 - 2,653,000)
1996 - 925
1997 - 1,050
1998 - 953
2001 - 1,139
2002 - 1,045
JAPAN (2000 - 126,550,000)
1977 - 1,125
1984 - 1,762
1985 - 1,780 (in almost
all the victim knew killer)
1986 - 1,676
1987 - 1,584
1988 - 1,441
1989 - 1,308
1990 - 1,238
1991 - 1,215
1992 - 1,227
1993 - 1,233
1994 - 1,279
1995 - 1,281
1996 - 1,218
1997 - 1,282
1998 - 1,388
1999 - 1,265
2000 - 1,391
2001 - 1,340
JORDAN (2000 - 4,999,000)
1998 - About 100 (25 were
"crimes of honor"-- killing a "fallen" female relative)
KOREA, SOUTH (2000 - 47,471,000)
1994 - 720
2000 - 955
KUWAIT (1995 - 1,685,000)
1995 - 17
KYRGYZSTAN (2000 - 4,685,000)
2000 - 413
LATVIA (2000 - 2,405,000)
2000 - 238
LITHUANIA (2000 - 3,621,000)
1988 - 143
1989 - 155
1990 - 224
1991 - 260
1992 - 303
1993 - 480
1994 - 523
1995 - 502
2000 - 370
MACEDONIA (2000 - 2,041,000)
2000 - 47
MALAYSIA (2000 - 21,793,000)
2000 - 551
MAURITIUS (2000 - 1,179,000)
1993 - 25
2000 - 26
MEXICO (2000 - 100,350,000)
1994 - 15,842
2000 - 13,829
MOLDOVA (2000 - 4,431,000)
2000 - 348
NAMIBIA (1998 - 1,622,000)
1998 - 730
NETHERLANDS (2000 - 15,892,000)
1990 - 230
1991 - 217
1992 - 249
1993 - 265
1994 - 235
1995 - 273
1996 - 273
2000 - 183
NEW ZEALAND (2000 - 3,820,000)
2000 - 45
NORWAY (2000 - 4,481,000)
1991 - 51
1992 - 46
1993 - 39
1994 - 34
1995 - 43
1996 - 43
1997 - 38
1998 - 38
1999 - 37
2000 - 49
PAPUA NEW GUINEA (2000 - 4,927,000)
2000 - 465
PHILIPPINES (1996 - 72,000,000)
1996 - 11,664
POLAND (2000 - 38,646,000)
1989 - 556
1995 - 1,134
2000 - 2,170
PORTUGAL (2000 - 10,048,000)
2000 - 302
PUERTO RICO (2000 - 3,809,000)
1994 - 995
2001 - 744
2002 - 774
QATAR (2000 - 744,000)
2000 - 1
ROMANIA (2000 - 22,411,000)
2000 - 560
RUSSIA (Also see: Soviet Union) (2000 - 146,001,000)
1991 - 16,122
1992 - 23,006
1993 - 29,213
1995 - 30,600
1998 - 29,372
2000 - 31,829
2001 - About 34,000
SAUDI ARABIA (2000 - 22,024,000)
1984 - 85
1995 - 141
1996 - 146
1997 - 138
1998 - 92
1999 - 172
2000 - 147
SCOTLAND (1992 - 5,111,000)
1978-1987: Average 88
1988 - 81
1989 - 97
1990 - 80
1991 - 89
1992 - 136
1993 - 116
1994 - 111
1995 - 133
1996 - 138
1997 - 88
1998 - 100
1999 - 120 (only 1 case
unsolved)
2000 - 105
2001 - 107
SEYCHELLES (2000 - 79,000)
2000 - 6
SINGAPORE - See Data Group 2
SLOVAKIA (2000 - 5,408,000)
2000 - 143
SLOVENIA (2000 - 1,928,000)
1994 - 40
2000 - 36
SOUTH AFRICA (Obvious discrepancy below between 1993 and 1994-2000 statistics,
which are from different sources. Typical of what murder statistic researchers
find. The 1994-2000 South Africa Police Service statistics are presumably most
accurate.)
(2000 - 43,421,000)
1990 - About 13,000
(around 3,500 "politically motivated")
1993 - 17,467
1994 - 26,832
1995 - 26,637
1996 - 25,782
1997 - 24,588
1998 - 24,875
1999 - 23,823
2000 - 21,683
SOVIET UNION (Also see: Russia) (1990 - 290,122,000)
1986 - 14,848
1987 - 14,651
1988 - 16,710
1989 - 13,543
1990 - 15,566
SPAIN (1893 - 17,550,000)
(2000 - 39,997,000)
1890 - About 1,200
1976 - 111
1993 - 371
2000 - 494
SWAZILAND (1998 - 966,000)
1998 - 174
SWEDEN (1993 - 8,719,000)
1980's: About 120-150 a
year
1990 - 121
1993 - 113
1997 - 157
2001 - 167
SWITZERLAND (2000 - 7,262,000)
1978 - 39
1994 - 93
1997 - 87
2000 - 69
TAIWAN (1996 - 21,979,000)
1996 - 1,785
TANZANIA (1970 - 13,000,000)
(2000 - 35,306,000)
1975 - 1,226
THAILAND (2000 - 61,231,000)
1995 - 4,542 (only
2,075 arrested)
1996 - 4,474
(1,934)
1997 - 4,485
(1,091)
1998 - 5,717
(2,168)
1999 - 4,648
(1,802)
2000 - 5,135
(2,043)
TUNISIA (2000 - 9,593,000)
2000 - 113
UKRAINE (2000 - 49,153,000)
2000 - 4,418
UNITED KINGDOM (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) (Also see:
England & Wales) (2000 - 59,508,000)
2000 - 850
UNITED STATES (Also see: Gun Murders, Handgun Murders) (1940 - 132,164,000)
(1960 - 179,323,000)
(1970 - 203,302,000)
(1980 - 226,542,000)
(1990 - 248,710,000)
(2000 - 281,422,000)
1939 - 7,514
1940 - 7,540
1941 - 7,562
1960 - 9,110
1961 - 8,740
1962 - 8,530
1963 - 8,640
1964 - 9,360
1965 - 9,960
1966 - 11,040
1967 - 12,240
1968 - 13,800
1969 - 14,760
1970 - 16,000
1971 - 17,780
1972 - 18,670
1973 - 19,640 (10,000 by
handguns, 1,200 by long guns)
1974 - 20,711
1975 - 20,505
1976 - 18,784
1977 - 19,121
1978 - 19,555
1979 - 21,456
1980 - 23,044
1981 - 22,516
1982 - 21,012
1983 - 19,308
1984 - 18,692
1985 - 18,980
1986 - 20,610
1987 - 21,010
1988 - 20,680
1989 - 21,500
1990 - 23,440
1991 - 24,700 (Record)
1992 - 23,760 (1,431
killed by boyfriends or husbands)
1993 - 24,526
1994 - 23,330
1995 - 21,610
1996 - 19,645 (125 by
people 75 or older [only 3 of these women])
1997 - 18,209
1998 - 16,914
1999 - 15,522 (692
youth-gang homicides)
2000 - 15,517
2001 - 15,982
2002 - 16,204 (64%
solved) (How murders committed: 71.0% firearms
13.4 knife
7.1 hands or feet
5.1 blunt object
3.4 other [arson, poisoning, etc.])
(youth-gang homicides in 2002: over 1,100)
URUGUAY (3,453,000)
2000 - 174
VENEZUELA (2000 - 23,543,000)
INMATES MURDERED IN
PRISON 1/90-4/94: 2,138
2000 - 8,022
MURDERS IN PRISONS
1994-2000: Average 256 a year
SUSPECTED CRIMINALS
KILLED BY POLICE 2000: At least 2,000
2001: Nearly 8,000
2002: Over 9,000
YEMEN (2000 - 17,479,000)
2000 - 697
ZAMBIA (2000 - 9,582,000)
2000 - 797
ZIMBABWE (2000 - 11,343,000)
1998 - 994
2000 - 912
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