Female homicide rate in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Female homicide rate was 2.75 homicides per 100,000 population in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
2.75 homicides per 100,000 population
Change on year
up 50.3%
World rank
32nd
of 138 countries
All-time high
2.85 homicides per 100,000 population
in 2005
All-time low
1.01 homicides per 100,000 population
in 1996
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Female homicide rate in Costa Rica, 1990–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in homicides per 100,000 population.
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 2.75 homicides per 100,000 population for female homicide rate in 2023.
That represents a change of up 50.3% on the previous year and up 81.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female homicide rate in Costa Rica peaked at 2.85 homicides per 100,000 population in 2005 and was at its lowest, 1.01 homicides per 100,000 population, in 1996.
That places Costa Rica 32nd out of 138 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Female homicide rate in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | homicides per 100,000 population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1.79 homicides per 100,000 population | — |
| 1991 | 1.55 homicides per 100,000 population | -13.3% |
| 1992 | 1.51 homicides per 100,000 population | -2.8% |
| 1993 | 1.15 homicides per 100,000 population | -23.9% |
| 1994 | 1.43 homicides per 100,000 population | +25.0% |
| 1995 | 1.51 homicides per 100,000 population | +5.4% |
| 1996 | 1.01 homicides per 100,000 population | -32.8% |
| 1997 | 1.05 homicides per 100,000 population | +3.2% |
| 1998 | 1.43 homicides per 100,000 population | +36.7% |
| 1999 | 1.66 homicides per 100,000 population | +15.7% |
| 2000 | 2.03 homicides per 100,000 population | +22.7% |
| 2001 | 1.41 homicides per 100,000 population | -30.7% |
| 2002 | 1.65 homicides per 100,000 population | +17.2% |
| 2003 | 1.81 homicides per 100,000 population | +9.7% |
| 2004 | 1.83 homicides per 100,000 population | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 2.85 homicides per 100,000 population | +55.6% |
| 2006 | 2.07 homicides per 100,000 population | -27.5% |
| 2007 | 1.67 homicides per 100,000 population | -18.9% |
| 2008 | 2.68 homicides per 100,000 population | +59.9% |
| 2009 | 2.6 homicides per 100,000 population | -3.0% |
| 2010 | 2.65 homicides per 100,000 population | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 2.75 homicides per 100,000 population | +3.7% |
| 2012 | 2.12 homicides per 100,000 population | -22.8% |
| 2013 | 1.51 homicides per 100,000 population | -28.8% |
| 2014 | 2.12 homicides per 100,000 population | +40.1% |
| 2015 | 1.73 homicides per 100,000 population | -18.5% |
| 2016 | 2.69 homicides per 100,000 population | +55.5% |
| 2017 | 2.34 homicides per 100,000 population | -13.0% |
| 2018 | 2.6 homicides per 100,000 population | +11.0% |
| 2019 | 1.9 homicides per 100,000 population | -26.8% |
| 2020 | 2.44 homicides per 100,000 population | +28.2% |
| 2021 | 2.19 homicides per 100,000 population | -10.2% |
| 2022 | 1.83 homicides per 100,000 population | -16.5% |
| 2023 | 2.75 homicides per 100,000 population | +50.3% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 2.75 homicides per 100,000 population is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.7019 homicides per 100,000 population, 3.9× the median. (70 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 2.75 homicides per 100,000 population is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 3.52 homicides per 100,000 population, 78% of the median. (40 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.41 homicides per 100,000 population | 1.01 homicides per 100,000 population | 1.79 homicides per 100,000 population | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.06 homicides per 100,000 population | 1.41 homicides per 100,000 population | 2.85 homicides per 100,000 population | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.24 homicides per 100,000 population | 1.51 homicides per 100,000 population | 2.75 homicides per 100,000 population | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.3 homicides per 100,000 population | 1.83 homicides per 100,000 population | 2.75 homicides per 100,000 population | 4 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 29 Iraq 3.06 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 30 Uganda 3 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 31 Latvia 2.87 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 33 Kenya 2.66 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 34 Mongolia 2.64 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 35 Russia 2.64 homicides per 100,000 population compare
More gender data for Costa Rica
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 838.24 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -2.49 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 4,413 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 4,413 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 0.8911 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 24,787 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 25,901 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 25,098 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 26,214 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 25,387 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female homicide rate in Costa Rica?
- Female homicide rate in Costa Rica was 2.75 homicides per 100,000 population in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest female homicide rate recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 2.85 homicides per 100,000 population in 2005.
- What is the lowest female homicide rate recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.01 homicides per 100,000 population in 1996.
- How does Costa Rica rank for female homicide rate?
- Costa Rica ranks 32nd out of 138 countries with data for 2023.
- Is female homicide rate rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 81.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Female homicide rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Intentional homicide rate per 100,000 populationof female victims .