Mapping World Wide Homicides

Danger: A map shows the distribution of homicidal violence across the world – and how it is mainly concentrated in Latin America and the Caribbean. In fact, nine of out ten of the most dangerous places, according to murder statistics, are in this area (illustrated)

As reported by the Daily Mail: You might moan about the crime in your area, but this interactive map reveals that life is probably considerably less dangerous compared to the streets of Honduras.

This interactive map shows the distribution of homicidal violence across the world and how it's mainly concentrated in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In fact, nine out of ten of the most dangerous places in terms of murders are concentrated in this region.

The Homicide Monitor map, made by Brazil-based think tank The Igarapé Institute, claims to be the most comprehensive publicly available dataset on murder in the world and was designed to show how some countries and populations are more at risk of dying violently than others.

‘A better diagnosis of how homicide is spread can help in the design of effective violence prevention and reduction measures,’ the Institute says.

The map shows that Honduras has the highest murder rate
 in the world, with 7,172 homicides in 2012 – a rate of
85.5 per 100,000 people.Almost half of the victims were aged
between 15 and 29 and 92 per cent of them were male. This
image shows members of street gang 'MS13' in a jail
in Tamarac, Honduras

Users can spin the 3D globe and click on countries to see their murder rates, which allow places to be compared to each other, despite having different population sizes.

Information on the total numbers of homicides, the homicide rate and statistics related to gender, age and weapons are shown.

The map shows that Honduras has the highest murder rate in the world, with 7,172 homicides in 2012 – a rate of 85.5 per 100,000 people.

Almost half of the victims were aged between 15 and 29 and 92 per cent of them were male. A total of 83 per cent of deaths were caused by firearms.

This violence is thought to be driven by drugs as it’s a major drug route to the US. The UN Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has called the border regions between north-west Honduras and south-west Guatemala 'some of the most dangerous places in Central America’.

Venezuela has the second highest murder rate, according to the map, at 53.7 homicides per 100,000 people, with the US Virgin Islands coming in third, with a rate of 52.6.

Venezuela was ranked the most insecure nation in the world by US consultancy Gallup in 2013 with the UN stating that crimes such as drug trafficking, kidnapping and human trafficking as well as murders is down to the poor political and economic environment in the country.

A book penned by Gareth A Jones and Dennis Rogers, called 'Youth violence in Latin America: Gangs and juvenile justice in perspective' says: ‘With the change of political regime in 1999 and the initiation of the Bolivarian Revolution, a period of transformation and political conflict began, marked by a further increase in the number and rate of violent deaths.’

Venezuela has the second highest murder rate, according
 to the map, at 53.7 homicides per 100,000 people. This
shocking image, taken on the street of Caracas
shows the aftermath of an attack on a policeman

The troubling trend has continued following the Chávez presidency.

Belize and Jamaica make up the top five most murderous countries. In Jamaica, the government is trying to drive down the rate by using the threat of the death penalty, as well as police patrols, curfews and actions to break up and control gangs.

The only country to be included in the top 10 of countries with the highest murder rates outside of Latin America and the Caribbean, is Swaziland in Africa, which has a homicide rate of 33.8 per 100,000.

The kingdom has been described as a crime hot spot, with muggings, burglaries, and gang crime commonplace.

Among the safest places in the world, in terms of the risk of being murdered, are Western Europe including the UK, China, Australia, Canada and Chile – an oasis of safety in South America. Argentina and the US have under 5.55 homicides per 100,000 people.

The data comes from publically reported homicide reports from 219 countries and territories, from the millennium to the latest available year.

The Monitors draws on national-level data collated by UNODC, as well as the Igarapé Institute, which collects information from more than 40 countries and territories in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The data is divided according to gender, age and the type of weapon when available.

‘The Homicide Monitor is intended to provoke reflection and stimulate debate,’ the Igarapé Institute said.

The US Virgin Islands is the third most dangerous place in the world in terms of murders, according to the statistics on which the map is based, with a rate of 52.6 per 100,000 inhabitants. This image shows a beach on St Thomas