The city with the highest recorded homicide rate in the world in our 2026 ranking is Colima in Mexico, followed by Durán in Ecuador and Zacatecas in Mexico.
We rank the ten large cities not in active conflict with the highest recorded homicide rates, using the latest figures we could find. City rates are averages: danger is very uneven inside any city, and most of these places have safe districts.
| Rank | City | Homicides per 100,000 (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colima, Mexico | about 180 |
| 2 | Durán, Ecuador | about 140 to 165 |
| 3 | Zacatecas, Mexico | about 135 |
| 4 | Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa | about 100 |
| 5 | Tijuana, Mexico | about 88 to 96 |
| 6 | Guayaquil, Ecuador | about 84 to 91 |
| 7 | Durban (eThekwini), South Africa | about 76 |
| 8 | Kingston, Jamaica | about 71 |
| 9 | Cape Town, South Africa | about 68 to 70 |
| 10 | Ciudad Juárez, Mexico | about 66 |
1. Colima, Mexico
Colima state has had the highest homicide rate in Mexico, at roughly 74 to 87 per 100,000 in 2025 depending on the measure. Colima city and the port of Manzanillo post some of the highest city-level rates in the world, with Manzanillo reported at about 150 per 100,000.
Reported city rate from the 2023-24 compilation, cross-checked against the 2025 state figures.
2. Durán, Ecuador
Durán sits across the river from Guayaquil. Its rate was about 147 per 100,000 in 2023 and reported at roughly 140 or higher in 2025. Ecuador as a whole recorded roughly 9,000 homicides in 2025, a rate near 50 per 100,000.
Several reports, which agree on the range but not the exact figure.
3. Zacatecas, Mexico
Zacatecas appears in recent compilations at about 135 homicides per 100,000 for a city of roughly 364,000 people. We could not re-check it against a second source, so treat it as indicative.
A single reported figure, so a lower-confidence rank.
4. Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa
Nelson Mandela Bay, which includes Gqeberha, has been reported as South Africa’s highest-rate metro, at around 100 per 100,000. South African police data show other metros, such as eThekwini (Durban) at 76 and Cape Town at 68, ranking behind it in 2024.
Police ranking by metro for 2024, with the exact Nelson Mandela Bay rate reported at about 100.
5. Tijuana, Mexico
Tijuana is the largest city on this list by recorded killings. A 2023 count showed 1,638 homicides in a population of 1.86 million, and a later count of 1,844 killings put the rate near 96.
Two annual counts from public data.
6. Guayaquil, Ecuador
Guayaquil is Ecuador’s largest city and its port. Rates of 84 to 91 per 100,000 have been reported, and Guayas province recorded about 2,500 homicides in the first seven months of 2025.
Reported rates plus provincial counts, not tied to a single official table.
7. Durban (eThekwini), South Africa
The eThekwini metro, which includes Durban, was reported at 76 homicides per 100,000 in 2024, according to analysis of police data. Its rate has risen from 32 per 100,000 in 2013 to around 58 in another count.
Police data analysis for 2024.
8. Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston appears in recent compilations with 475 killings in a city of about 672,000 people. It is Jamaica’s capital and largest city.
A single reported count.
9. Cape Town, South Africa
Cape Town was at about 68 per 100,000 in 2024 by one analysis, and 70.2 by another based on police data. South Africa’s national murder rate is around 40 per 100,000.
Two analyses of police data that differ by two points.
10. Ciudad Juárez, Mexico
Ciudad Juárez recorded 986 homicides in a population of about 1.49 million in the compilation we used. It is far below its worst years in the early 2010s.
One reported annual count.
Which cities did we remove from the old list?
The old list ranked Sana’a, Abidjan, Caracas, Peshawar, Baghdad, Mogadishu, Kabul and Nairobi. We removed them because comparable, recent homicide statistics are not available for cities in or near conflict, and because the numbers for the others were out of date. Port-au-Prince in Haiti has also been reported at about 67 per 100,000, though real figures are likely higher because data collection is difficult.
Keep reading
- The most prosperous cities in the world: the opposite end of the city ranking
- The most visited countries in the world: where travelers actually go
FAQ
Which city has the highest homicide rate in the world?
Colima in Mexico, at about 180 per 100,000 in the latest compilation we used. The state of Colima has the highest rate in Mexico at roughly 74 to 87 per 100,000 in 2025.
Which South African city is the most dangerous?
Nelson Mandela Bay, reported at about 100 homicides per 100,000, ahead of Durban at 76 and Cape Town at 68 in 2024.
Is Cape Town safe for tourists?
Cape Town’s citywide rate is about 68 to 70 per 100,000, and risk varies sharply by neighborhood. Check current local guidance before you travel.
Why are Kabul and Mogadishu not on the list?
Reliable, comparable homicide statistics are not available for cities in or near conflict, so we cannot rank them fairly.
How reliable are these numbers?
They are approximate. Methods, population figures and years differ between sources, so we give ranges and label single-source figures as reported.
Does a high rate mean tourists are in danger?
Not necessarily. Most killings are concentrated in particular areas and are not usually aimed at visitors, but you should read current travel advice for any city on this list.
How we put this list together
We ranked cities by the highest recorded homicide rate per 100,000 people among large cities not in active conflict, using the most recent public counts we could find. Rates are approximate and sources differ, so figures are shown as reported ranges as of October 2026.
Last updated: October 2026.
