Homicides — when people intentionally and illegally kill others for personal reasons — are the most serious crime.
They are a common cause of death globally and a leading cause of death in some countries.
They not only rob the victims of their lives: they also hurt the victims’ friends and families, they harm the broader community, and they may burden the perpetrators themselves and lead to their imprisonment or execution.
This page provides data and research on how frequent homicides are, how this differs across countries, and whether they are becoming less common over time.