Homicide Rate in South Korea: 1800 to Today (and Tomorrow)

Updated September 2026 · ⬇ download this dataset (CSV) · methodology

In the 2020s, homicide rate in South Korea stands at 0.6 per 100,000 — ranking #10 of 157 countries. In 1900 it was 3.4 per 100,000. (Source: UNODC / World Bank, compiled by MYRIAD)

The statistical decline of homicide in South Korea reveals a profound shift in the architecture of everyday safety. When we translate these ratios into human experiences, we are measuring the steady erosion of interpersonal violence across generations. Each increment represents a life reclaimed from early termination, reflecting a society that has consistently reorganized itself toward stability. These numbers are not mere abstractions; they are the cumulative result of millions of private choices and public structures that have rendered the act of living significantly more secure.

The historical arc begins in the 1800s estimate 6.13, a period of instability that saw a gradual downward trajectory through the 1850s estimate 4.77 and 1900s estimate 3.4. By the 1950s, the rate reached 1.78, continuing to retreat through the 1990s 1.05 and into the 2020s 0.6. Projections for the coming decades suggest the trend will continue, with the 2100s projection 0.4 expected to mark the lowest point in this three-century narrative of receding violence.

For someone born in South Korea, these statistics dictate the probability of an unnaturally shortened life. If you lived in the 1800s estimate 6.13, the environment carried a risk factor nearly ten times higher than the 2020s 0.6. This transition to the 2030s projection 0.57 signifies a transformation in how individuals navigate their surroundings. Currently ranking #10 of 157 countries, the nation moves toward the 2090s projection 0.42, permanently altering the texture of the human lifespan.

Compare these trajectories to find where your own story intersects with the lives of others on MYRIAD.

🇰🇷 Intentional homicides per 100,000 people per year. For South Korea, the story across three centuries is below — every value is a statistical fact about the lives actually lived there.

Decade by decade

DecadeHomicide Rate (per 100,000)
1800s estimate6.13
1810s estimate5.86
1820s estimate5.59
1830s estimate5.31
1840s estimate5.04
1850s estimate4.77
1860s estimate4.49
1870s estimate4.22
1880s estimate3.95
1890s estimate3.67
1900s estimate3.4
1910s estimate3.08
1920s estimate2.75
1930s estimate2.43
1940s estimate2.1
1950s1.78
1960s1.61
1970s1.44
1980s1.27
1990s1.05
2000s0.84
2010s0.72
2020s0.6
2030s projection0.57
2040s projection0.54
2050s projection0.51
2060s projection0.49
2070s projection0.46
2080s projection0.44
2090s projection0.42
2100s projection0.4

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Questions people ask

What is the Homicide Rate in South Korea today?

0.6 per 100,000 in the 2020s (UNODC / World Bank).

How much did Homicide Rate in South Korea change since 1950?

From 1.78 to 0.6 per 100,000 — a change of about -66%.

Where does South Korea rank worldwide?

#10 of 157 countries covered by MYRIAD in the 2020s.

Where does YOUR life rank? →