Intentional killings down 6% in Brazil last year

The number of intentional, violent killings recorded in Brazil fell 6.5 percent last year, as per a study released today (Jun 28) by the Brazilian Public Security Forum. Included are murders and robberies followed by death, as well as killings resulting from police interventions and injuries followed by death.

In absolute numbers, notifications went from 50,448 deaths in 2020 to 47,503 last year, the lowest since 2011, when they totaled 47,215. Since then, the highest level was observed in 2017, 64,078 deaths. In 76 percent of the cases last year, killings were caused by firearms.

All Brazilian regions showed a decline, except for the North, where the amount went from 5,758 in 2020 to 6,291 last year. An increase, however, was reported in the Northern states of Pará, Amapá, Amazonas, Rondônia, and Roraima. In the Northeast, a surge was recorded in the states of Bahia and Piauí.

Despite the reduction, Brazil still struggles with extreme violence, as Brazil is reported to account for one in every five homicides worldwide (20.4 percent of the total). Most victims are black (77.9%), male (91.3%), and young people aged 12 through 29 (50%).

Most violent cities

The study includes a list with the 30 most violent Brazilian cities from 2019 to 2021. Thirteen are located in the Legal Amazon region, where the lethal violence rate was 38 percent higher than the national average. In Brazil, this indicator stands at 22.3 intentional killings for every 100 thousand people, compared to 30.9 in the Legal Amazon.

Atop the list was São João do Jaguaribe, in the state of Ceará—followed by Jacareacanga, in Pará; Aurelino Leal, Bahia; Santa Luzia D’Oeste, Roraima; São Felipe D’Oeste, Roraima; and Floresta do Araguaia, Pará.