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This article is about the act of killing a human being. For other uses, see Homicide (disambiguation).

Homicide is the act of a human being killing another human being.[1]

Criminal homicide[edit]

Criminal homicide takes many forms including accidental or purposeful murder. The crime committed in a criminal homicide is determined by the mental state of the committing person and the extent of the crime. Murder, for example, is usually an intentional crime. In many cases, homicide may in fact lead to life in prison or even capital punishment,[2] but if the defendant in a capital case is sufficiently mentally disabled in the United States he or she cannot be executed. Instead, the individual is placed under the category of "insane".

Varying by jurisdiction, a homicide that occurs during the commission of a felony may constitute murder regardless the felon's mental state with regard to the killing. This is known as the felony murder rule. Much abbreviated and incomplete, the felony murder rule says that one committing a felony may be guilty of murder if someone, including the felony victim, a bystander or a co-felon, dies as a result of his acts, regardless his intent—or lack thereof—to kill.

Criminal homicides also include voluntary and involuntary manslaughter. An example of Voluntary manslaughter is hitting someone with an intent to kill them, whereas involuntary manslaughter is unintentionally killing someone. The perpetrator does not receive the same legal action against them as a person convicted of murder.

Although suicide is not considered to be homicide, anyone that assists an individual in the moment of suicide may be convicted of homicide, as codified, for instance, in California Penal Code Sec. 401.[3]

State-sanctioned homicide[edit]

Main article: Justifiable homicide

Homicides may also be non-criminal when conducted with the sanction of the state. The most obvious examples are capital punishment, in which the state determines that a person should die. Homicides committed in action during war are usually not subject to criminal prosecution either. In addition, members of law enforcement entities are also allowed to commit justified homicides within certain parameters which, when met, do not usually result in prosecution; see deadly force.

Global statistics[edit]

A 2011 study by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime brought together a wide variety of data sources to create a worldwide picture of trends and developments.[4] Sources included multiple agencies and field offices of the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and national and international sources from 207 countries.

The report estimated that in 2010, the total number of homicides globally was 468,000. More than a third (36%) occurred in Africa, 31% in the Americas, 27% in Asia, 5% in Europe and 1% in Oceania. Since 1995, the homicide rate has been falling in Europe, North America, and Asia, but has risen to a near "crisis point" in Central America and the Caribbean. Of all homicides worldwide, 82% of the victims were male and 18% were female.[5] On a per-capita scaled level, "the homicide rate in Africa and the Americas (at 17 and 16 per 100,000 population, respectively) is more than double the global average (6.9 per 100,000), whereas in Asia, Europe and Oceania (between 3 and 4 per 100,000) it is roughly half".[5]

UNODC, in its 2013 global report, estimated the total number of homicides worldwide dropped to 437,000 in 2012. Americas accounted for 36% of all homicides globally, Africa 31%, Asia 28%, Europe 5% and Oceania 0.3%.[6] The world's average homicide rate stood at 6.2 per 100,000 population in 2012, but Southern Africa region and Central America have intentional homicide rates four times higher than the world average. They are the most violent regions globally, outside of regions experiencing wars and religious or sociopolitical terrorism.[6] Asia exclusive of West Asia and Central Asia, Western Europe, Northern Europe, as well as Oceania had the lowest homicide rates in the world. About 41% of the homicides worldwide occurred in 2012 with the use of guns, 24% with sharp objects such as knife, and 35% by other means such as poison. The global conviction rate for the crime of intentional homicide in 2012 was 43%.[7]



Women murdered by their past or present male partner make up the vast majority of [female] victims.[4]
A comparison of homicide rates, per 100,000 people, for some countries. Terror and war-related deaths are not included. Chinese homicide data is unavailable.


  1. ^ "Homicide definition". Cornell University Law School. Retrieved 22 April 2014. 
  2. ^ "Federal Laws Providing for the Death Penalty | Death Penalty Information Center". Deathpenaltyinfo.org. 2003-01-02. Retrieved 2012-11-17. 
  3. ^ "CA Codes (pen:369a-402c)". Leginfo.ca.gov. Retrieved 2012-11-17. 
  4. ^ a b United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. 2011 Global Study on Homicide. Accessed December 2, 2011.
  6. ^ a b UNODC, Global Study on Homicide 2013 Report
  7. ^ UNODC, Global Study on Homicide 2013 Report, page 18

External links[edit]