According to the Global Study on Homicide 2013, a report published by the UN which provides a comparative analysis of the rate of homicides across the world, not only is Belize among the countries with the highest homicide rate in the world, but Belize City records the fourth highest homicide rate among the most populous cities in the Americas, at 105 per 100,000 persons living in the jurisdiction.

“Intentional homicide caused the deaths of almost half a million people (437,000) across the world in 2012. More than a third of those (36 per cent) occurred in the Americas, 31 per cent in Africa and 28 per cent in Asia, while Europe (5 per cent) and Oceania (0.3 per cent) accounted for the lowest shares of homicide at the regional level,” the UN study said.

The study connects the high rate of homicides in the Americas with organized crime and gangs, with the problem being more pronounced among males:

“The global male homicide rate is almost four times that of females (9.7 versus 2.7 per 100,000) and is highest in the Americas (29.3 per 100,000 males), where it is nearly seven times higher than in Asia, Europe and Oceania (all under 4.5 per 100,000 males). This is due in large part to the higher levels of homicide related to organized crime and gangs in the Americas than in other regions,” the report said.

The report estimates that overall, organized crime/gang-related homicide accounts for 30 per cent of homicides in the Americas, compared to less than 1 per cent in Asia, Europe and Oceania.

The table showing the intentional homicide count and rate per 100,000 of the population in the most populous city, by country/territory (2005-2012), demonstrates that the homicide rate in Belize City has been on a steady rise, from 74.2 in 2005 to 105 in 2011.

In that same year, Guatemala City reported a homicide rate of 116.6 and Tegucigalpa, Honduras, 92.9.

Of note is that homicide rates in Africa, Asia and Europe are generally lower than in the Americas.