Male homicide rate in Sweden
Sweden: Male homicide rate was 1.66 homicides per 100,000 population in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
1.66 homicides per 100,000 population
Change on year
down 6.0%
World rank
93rd
of 138 countries
All-time high
1.9 homicides per 100,000 population
in 2020
All-time low
0.9691 homicides per 100,000 population
in 2012
Years of data
25
1999–2023
Male homicide rate in Sweden, 1999–2023
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
Sweden recorded 1.66 homicides per 100,000 population for male homicide rate in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.0% on the previous year and up 30.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, male homicide rate in Sweden peaked at 1.9 homicides per 100,000 population in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.9691 homicides per 100,000 population, in 2012.
Sweden ranks 93rd of 138 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Male homicide rate in Sweden, year by year
| Year | homicides per 100,000 population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 1.65 homicides per 100,000 population | — |
| 2000 | 1.35 homicides per 100,000 population | -18.4% |
| 2001 | 1.31 homicides per 100,000 population | -2.7% |
| 2002 | 1.46 homicides per 100,000 population | +11.8% |
| 2003 | 1.31 homicides per 100,000 population | -10.7% |
| 2004 | 1.49 homicides per 100,000 population | +13.8% |
| 2005 | 1.17 homicides per 100,000 population | -21.4% |
| 2006 | 1.23 homicides per 100,000 population | +4.9% |
| 2007 | 1.74 homicides per 100,000 population | +41.9% |
| 2008 | 1.18 homicides per 100,000 population | -32.0% |
| 2009 | 1.18 homicides per 100,000 population | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 1.37 homicides per 100,000 population | +16.3% |
| 2011 | 1.19 homicides per 100,000 population | -13.2% |
| 2012 | 0.9691 homicides per 100,000 population | -18.5% |
| 2013 | 1.27 homicides per 100,000 population | +31.4% |
| 2014 | 1.28 homicides per 100,000 population | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 1.69 homicides per 100,000 population | +32.3% |
| 2016 | 1.55 homicides per 100,000 population | -8.5% |
| 2017 | 1.7 homicides per 100,000 population | +10.0% |
| 2018 | 1.47 homicides per 100,000 population | -13.9% |
| 2019 | 1.66 homicides per 100,000 population | +13.4% |
| 2020 | 1.9 homicides per 100,000 population | +14.2% |
| 2021 | 1.7 homicides per 100,000 population | -10.7% |
| 2022 | 1.76 homicides per 100,000 population | +3.7% |
| 2023 | 1.66 homicides per 100,000 population | -6.0% |
Sweden compared with similar countries
- Sweden's 1.66 homicides per 100,000 population is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.45 homicides per 100,000 population, 1.1× the median. (70 countries reporting)
- Sweden's 1.66 homicides per 100,000 population is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.61 homicides per 100,000 population, 1.0× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.65 homicides per 100,000 population | 1.65 homicides per 100,000 population | 1.65 homicides per 100,000 population | 1 |
| 2000s | 1.34 homicides per 100,000 population | 1.17 homicides per 100,000 population | 1.74 homicides per 100,000 population | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.42 homicides per 100,000 population | 0.9691 homicides per 100,000 population | 1.7 homicides per 100,000 population | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.75 homicides per 100,000 population | 1.66 homicides per 100,000 population | 1.9 homicides per 100,000 population | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
- 90 New Zealand 1.81 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 91 Uzbekistan 1.74 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 92 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.72 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 94 Turkmenistan 1.64 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 95 Tajikistan 1.61 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 96 Romania 1.61 homicides per 100,000 population compare
More gender data for Sweden
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 1,663 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -1.5 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 9,179 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 9,179 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 0.6078 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 47,810 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 50,483 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 48,381 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 51,112 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 50,315 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is male homicide rate in Sweden?
- Male homicide rate in Sweden was 1.66 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 male homicide rate recorded in Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 1.9 homicides per 100,000 population in 2020.
- What is the lowest male homicide rate recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.9691 homicides per 100,000 population in 2012.
- How does Sweden rank for male homicide rate?
- Sweden ranks 93rd out of 138 countries with data for 2023.
- Is male homicide rate rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sweden 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 Male homicide rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Intentional homicide rate per 100,000 populationof male victims.