While homicide rates from Chicago to Jamaica paint a grim picture of lives lost, a deeper look at violent crime statistics reveals a complex global landscape of rising assaults, underreported sexual violence, and stark disparities that challenge simple narratives.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, the United States recorded 21,156 murders and non-negligent manslaughters, marking a 6% increase from 2021
- In 2021, Chicago had 797 homicides, the highest among major U.S. cities, with a rate of 29.6 per 100,000 residents
- Globally, homicide rates in Latin America averaged 21.3 per 100,000 in 2022, led by Jamaica at 52.9
- In 2022, aggravated assaults in the U.S. totaled 844,860 incidents reported to police
- National Crime Victimization Survey reported 2.1 million serious violent victimizations (including aggravated assault) in 2022
- In 2021, U.S. aggravated assault rate was 268.5 per 100,000, highest among violent crimes
- In 2022, U.S. robberies totaled 202,178 incidents nationwide, down 1.6% from 2021
- New York City robberies reached 15,511 in 2022, up 30% from 2021
- Globally, robbery rates highest in Uruguay at 433 per 100,000 in 2022
- In 2022, U.S. reported rapes and sexual assaults totaled 133,294 to police
- NCVS estimated 463,000 rape/sexual assault victimizations in U.S. 2022, mostly unreported
- U.S. female rape victimization rate 2.6 per 1,000 age 12+ in 2022
- In 2022, U.S. violent crime rate fell 1.7% to 363.9 per 100,000
- NCVS: U.S. violent victimization rate 22.5 per 1,000 persons age 12+ in 2022, lowest since 1960s
- Globally, violent crime rates declined 10% from 2019-2022 per UNODC
Violent crime rates vary widely across countries and types of offenses.
Assault
- In 2022, aggravated assaults in the U.S. totaled 844,860 incidents reported to police
- National Crime Victimization Survey reported 2.1 million serious violent victimizations (including aggravated assault) in 2022
- In 2021, U.S. aggravated assault rate was 268.5 per 100,000, highest among violent crimes
- Chicago reported 22,283 aggravated assaults in 2022, rate of 836 per 100,000
- Globally, assault rates vary; U.S. at 250 per 100,000 vs. Japan's 20 in recent years
- In 2022, England and Wales had 661,773 violence against the person offences, mostly assaults
- BJS data shows 58% of aggravated assaults involved weapons in 2021 U.S. survey
- California's aggravated assaults numbered 125,000 in 2022, up 5% from 2021
- In 2022/23, Australia recorded 137,784 assaults, rate 534 per 100,000
- U.S. workplace aggravated assaults totaled 18,100 in 2022 per BLS
- New York City saw 30,000 felony assaults in 2022
- In Canada 2022, 141,338 assaults reported, 37% aggravated
- Germany's assault offences reached 215,000 in 2022
- U.S. intimate partner aggravated assaults: 224,490 in 2021 per NCVS
- Philadelphia reported 9,000 aggravated assaults in 2022
- In 2022, France had 391,000 violence assaults recorded
- BJS: Black Americans 2.4 times more likely to be aggravated assault victims in 2021
- Sweden's assault reports hit 106,000 in 2022, up 5%
- In 2022, Texas had 103,000 aggravated assaults, rate 347 per 100,000
- U.S. elderly (65+) aggravated assault victimization rate 8.4 per 1,000 in 2021
- Los Angeles reported 28,000 aggravated assaults in 2022
- In 2022/23, New Zealand assaults totaled 36,000, mostly grievous harm
- U.S. bar/club aggravated assaults: 80,000 annually per DOJ est.
- Baltimore's aggravated assault rate 1,200 per 100,000 in 2022
- In 2022, Brazil's bodily injury assaults reached 1.2 million cases
- U.S. school aggravated assaults: 113,000 in 2021-22 per NCES
- Detroit reported 7,500 aggravated assaults in 2022
Assault Interpretation
While the sobering reality is that aggravated assault consistently tops the violent crime charts domestically—as seen in hotspots from Chicago to Baltimore—and reveals stark disparities, America’s headline-grabbing rate of roughly 250 per 100,000 still pales next to some global peers but dwarfs others, proving context is both a comfort and a cold splash of water.
Homicide
- In 2022, the United States recorded 21,156 murders and non-negligent manslaughters, marking a 6% increase from 2021
- In 2021, Chicago had 797 homicides, the highest among major U.S. cities, with a rate of 29.6 per 100,000 residents
- Globally, homicide rates in Latin America averaged 21.3 per 100,000 in 2022, led by Jamaica at 52.9
- In 2020, firearm homicides in the U.S. reached 19,384, up 35% from 2019
- England's homicide rate was 1.15 per 100,000 in 2022/23, with 580 offences recorded
- In 2022, Brazil reported 47,508 homicides, down 3.4% from 2021 but still highest in South America
- U.S. intimate partner homicides accounted for 34% of female murder victims in 2021 (1,690 cases)
- South Africa's homicide rate stood at 45 per 100,000 in 2022/23, with 27,494 murders
- In 2023, Mexico had 30,968 homicides, with Colima state at 140.52 per 100,000
- Canada's homicide rate rose to 2.25 per 100,000 in 2022, with 874 incidents
- In 2022, Australia recorded 349 homicides, rate of 1.3 per 100,000, lowest in decades
- India's National Crime Records Bureau reported 28,522 murder cases in 2022, up 9% from 2021
- In 2021, the U.S. Black homicide victimization rate was 29.0 per 100,000 vs. 3.5 for Whites
- Venezuela's homicide rate estimated at 40.4 per 100,000 in 2022
- In 2022/23, New Zealand had 132 homicides, rate of 2.5 per 100,000
- Philippines reported 3,253 homicides in 2022, down 22% from prior year
- In 2022, Germany's homicide rate was 0.83 per 100,000 with 278 cases
- U.S. youth (ages 15-24) homicide rate was 12.5 per 100,000 in 2021
- El Salvador's homicide rate dropped to 2.4 per 100,000 in 2023 from 106 in 2015
- In 2022, France had 959 homicides, rate of 1.44 per 100,000
- Nigeria estimated 64,000 homicides in 2022, rate around 29 per 100,000
- In 2022, Japan's homicide rate was 0.23 per 100,000 with 285 cases
- U.S. mass shooting homicides totaled 693 in 2021
- Honduras homicide rate fell to 35.1 per 100,000 in 2022
- In 2022/23, Scotland recorded 56 homicides, rate 1.0 per 100,000
- Russia reported 7,324 intentional homicides in 2022, rate 5.1 per 100,000
- In 2021, U.S. male homicide victims outnumbered females 4:1 (16,000 vs 4,000)
- Colombia's homicide rate was 25.5 per 100,000 in 2022
- In 2022, Sweden had 116 homicides, rate 1.1 per 100,000
- U.S. 2022 preliminary homicide count was 19,592, down 6% from 2021 peak
Homicide Interpretation
From the streets of Chicago to the global stage, homicide remains a grim and persistent statistic, revealing not just a 6% uptick in the U.S. but a starkly uneven landscape where safety depends profoundly on your zip code, your gender, and the color of your skin.
Rape
- In 2022, U.S. reported rapes and sexual assaults totaled 133,294 to police
- NCVS estimated 463,000 rape/sexual assault victimizations in U.S. 2022, mostly unreported
- U.S. female rape victimization rate 2.6 per 1,000 age 12+ in 2022
- England/Wales: 70,330 rape offences recorded in 2022/23, up 30%
- In 2022, Sweden reported 9,316 rapes, highest per capita in EU at 57 per 100,000
- CDC: 1 in 5 U.S. women raped in lifetime, per 2022 NISVS update
- Australia's recorded sexual assaults 31,000 in 2022, rate 118 per 100,000
- Germany: 8,530 rapes and sexual assaults in 2022
- Canada: 27,455 sexual assaults in 2022
- In U.S. 2021, 91% of rape victims female, per BJS
- France recorded 37,000 sexual violence crimes in 2022, including rapes
- College campuses: 8,000 rapes reported in U.S. 2022 per Clery Act
- BJS: U.S. Black females rape rate 3.2 per 1,000 vs 2.4 White in 2022
- New Zealand sexual assaults 6,500 in 2022/23
- In 2022, India NCRB reported 31,677 rape cases
- U.S. military: 8,942 sexual assaults reported in FY2022
- UK's police-recorded rape offences doubled from 2013 to 2023, peaking at 70k
- South Africa's sexual offences 52,000 in 2022/23
- U.S. child sexual abuse: 60,000 substantiated cases involving rape in 2021
- Brazil: 66,000 rapes reported 2022
- In 2022, Japan had 2,711 rapes/sexual assaults, rate 2.1 per 100,000
- U.S. prison rapes: 1,700 substantiated in 2022 per PREA
- Nigeria est. 11,000 rapes annually, underreported
Rape Interpretation
The staggering global silence surrounding sexual violence is deafening, as official police tallies from country to country whisper a fraction of the truth screamed by victimization surveys and lifetime prevalence studies.
Robbery
- In 2022, U.S. robberies totaled 202,178 incidents nationwide, down 1.6% from 2021
- New York City robberies reached 15,511 in 2022, up 30% from 2021
- Globally, robbery rates highest in Uruguay at 433 per 100,000 in 2022
- NCVS reported 267,000 robbery victimizations in U.S. 2022
- London's robberies totaled 38,000 in 2022/23, rate 44 per 10,000
- In 2022, firearms used in 30% of U.S. robberies (60,000 est.)
- Los Angeles robberies: 6,000 in 2022
- Canada reported 23,382 robberies in 2022, down 11%
- Germany's robberies fell to 35,906 in 2022
- U.S. commercial robberies (banks/stores) 50,000 in 2022 per FBI
- Philadelphia robberies up 17% to 5,000 in 2022
- In 2022, France recorded 25,000 robberies with violence
- BJS: U.S. robbery victimization rate 1.0 per 1,000 persons age 12+ in 2022
- Chicago robberies totaled 6,500 in 2022
- Australia's robberies 11,000 in 2022, rate 42 per 100,000
- Sweden robberies increased 20% to 10,000 in 2022
- Texas robberies 9,500 in 2022, rate 32 per 100,000
- U.S. street robberies comprise 60% of total, per 2021 NCVS
- Baltimore robberies 2,200 in 2022
- In 2022, Brazil had 250,000 robbery incidents
- Detroit robberies 1,800 in 2022, down 10%
- New Zealand robberies 2,500 in 2022/23
- U.S. purse snatching/pocket picking robberies 20,000 in 2022 est.
Robbery Interpretation
While the U.S. logged a modest nationwide dip in robbery, the unsettling truth is a starkly uneven landscape where cities like New York saw a 30% surge, firearms were used in nearly a third of cases, and your choice of street, nation, or even continent dramatically alters the roll of the dice for becoming a victim.
Trends
- In 2022, U.S. violent crime rate fell 1.7% to 363.9 per 100,000
- NCVS: U.S. violent victimization rate 22.5 per 1,000 persons age 12+ in 2022, lowest since 1960s
- Globally, violent crime rates declined 10% from 2019-2022 per UNODC
- U.S. violent crime down 12% 1993-2022 long-term trend, per BJS
- England/Wales violent crime 2.1 million incidents 2022/23, stable
- Post-COVID U.S. violent crime peaked 2020 then fell 2022-2023
- Canada's violent CSI down 5% in 2022 to 1,322 per 100,000
- U.S. urban violent crime rate 484 per 100,000 in 2022 vs rural 173
- Australia violent offences up 3% to 413,000 in 2022
- Germany's violent crime stable at 214,000 in 2022
- Sweden violent crime reports 280,000 in 2022, up slightly
- U.S. Hispanic violent victimization rate 21.3 per 1,000 in 2022
- France violent crimes 3.1 million in 2022, +7%
- Gun violence 48,000 deaths in U.S. 2022, 60% homicides/suicides
- New Zealand violent crime down 2% in 2022/23
- U.S. poor households violent victimization 28.6 per 1,000 vs affluent 13.5 in 2022
- UK's CSEW violent crime victimization fell to 3.1% in year to March 2023
- Brazil violent deaths 47,508 in 2022, down from peak
- U.S. teen (12-17) violent victimization 25 per 1,000 in 2022
- Japan's violent crime lowest globally at 0.2 per 100,000 index crimes
- South Africa violent crime index high, 1,500 per 100,000 in 2022/23
- U.S. violent crime clearance rate 41.5% in 2022
Trends Interpretation
While the long-term global trend of declining violence offers a genuine sigh of relief, the persistent and profound disparities—between nations, neighborhoods, and income brackets—remind us that a statistical win is not yet a human victory.
Sources & References
- Reference 1CDEcde.ucr.cjis.govVisit source
- Reference 2CHICAGOPOLICEchicagopolice.orgVisit source
- Reference 3UNODCunodc.orgVisit source
- Reference 4CDCcdc.govVisit source
- Reference 5ONSons.gov.ukVisit source
- Reference 6FORUMSEGURANCAforumseguranca.org.brVisit source
- Reference 7BJSbjs.ojp.govVisit source
- Reference 8SAPSsaps.gov.zaVisit source
- Reference 9ELECONOMISTAeleconomista.com.mxVisit source
- Reference 10STATCANwww150.statcan.gc.caVisit source
- Reference 11ABSabs.gov.auVisit source
- Reference 12NCRBncrb.gov.inVisit source
- Reference 13VPCvpc.orgVisit source
- Reference 14INSIGHTCRIMEinsightcrime.orgVisit source
- Reference 15POLICEpolice.govt.nzVisit source
- Reference 16PNRpnr.gov.phVisit source
- Reference 17BKAbka.deVisit source
- Reference 18ELSALVADORelsalvador.comVisit source
- Reference 19INSEEinsee.frVisit source
- Reference 20MACROTRENDSmacrotrends.netVisit source
- Reference 21NPAnpa.go.jpVisit source
- Reference 22GUNVIOLENCEARCHIVEgunviolencearchive.orgVisit source
- Reference 23IUDOPiudop.uca.edu.niVisit source
- Reference 24GOVgov.scotVisit source
- Reference 25ROSSTATrosstat.gov.ruVisit source
- Reference 26POLICIApolicia.gov.coVisit source
- Reference 27BRAbra.seVisit source
- Reference 28UCRucr.fbi.govVisit source
- Reference 29HOMEhome.chicagopolice.orgVisit source
- Reference 30WORLDPOPULATIONREVIEWworldpopulationreview.comVisit source
- Reference 31OPENJUSTICEopenjustice.doj.ca.govVisit source
- Reference 32BLSbls.govVisit source
- Reference 33NYCnyc.govVisit source
- Reference 34PHILLYPOLICEphillypolice.comVisit source
- Reference 35INTERIEURinterieur.gouv.frVisit source
- Reference 36DPSdps.texas.govVisit source
- Reference 37LAPDONLINElapdonline.orgVisit source
- Reference 38OJPojp.govVisit source
- Reference 39PUBLICpublic.tableau.comVisit source
- Reference 40GOVgov.brVisit source
- Reference 41NCESnces.ed.govVisit source
- Reference 42DETROITMIdetroitmi.govVisit source
- Reference 43METmet.police.ukVisit source
- Reference 44FBIfbi.govVisit source
- Reference 45OPEope.ed.govVisit source
- Reference 46SAPRsapr.milVisit source
- Reference 47GOVgov.ukVisit source
- Reference 48ACFacf.hhs.govVisit source
- Reference 49BJSbjs.govVisit source
- Reference 50COUNCILONCJcounciloncj.orgVisit source
- Reference 51PUBLICHEALTHpublichealth.jhu.eduVisit source