Homicide is the most serious form of murder and one of the world’s leading causes of death. It has wide-ranging consequences that affect more than just the victims and their families. These effects include robing society of the talent and energy it needs to thrive, depriving the perpetrators of their freedom and depressing societal morale. This page presents a range of data and research on homicide.
While criminology and criminal justice focus on the willful type of homicide, including murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, other disciplines such as epidemiology and public health take a wider view of homicide and consider all types of homicide, whether they are willful or not. Nevertheless, the willful element is important because it distinguishes murder from killings that may be legal in some circumstances, such as in self-defense or when killed in the course of a dangerous felony.
The methods of homicide vary from one country to another and from one place to the next, but they are not as varied as the reasons why people kill. Most homicides involve some kind of dispute or argument, and a significant number are related to drug use. A small number of homicides are accidental or suicide.
Some countries have very high homicide rates, while others are much lower. In the United States, a number of factors contribute to differences in homicide rate, but racial/ethnic groups, income, and violence exposure play a key role. In 2020, most murders occurred in inner-city neighborhoods. Often, males in their twenties committed the murders.