Security Ministry: Argentina recorded lowest homicide rate on record in 2025

Argentina recorded its lowest intentional homicide rate on record in 2025, according to official crime statistics presented on Monday by National Security Minister Alejandra Monteoliva.

The government reported 3.6 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants last year – down 7.3 percent from 2024 and almost 19 percent lower than at the end of 2023, when President Javier Milei took office.

The figure places Argentina among the least violent countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, a region that continues to register some of the world's highest homicide rates.

"The intentional homicide rate fell by 7.3 percent compared with 2024 and by 18.7 percent since the beginning of this administration," Monteoliva said during a press conference alongside National Director of Criminal Statistics Marco González.

According to data compiled by the National Criminal Information System (SNIC), the homicide rate has fallen from 4.4 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023 to 3.6 in 2025. Authorities said this marks the second consecutive year in which Argentina has posted a record-low murder rate.

Monteoliva highlighted regional comparisons showing Argentina with the lowest level of lethal violence among the Latin American and Caribbean countries included in the government's analysis. Chile followed with a homicide rate of 5.4 per 100,000 inhabitants, ahead of Paraguay at 6.1 and the Dominican Republic at 8.7.

At the other end of the ranking were Honduras, with 19.2 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, Colombia with 23.2 and Ecuador with 50.9, reflecting the sharp rise in organised crime violence that has affected several countries in the region in recent years.

The minister also claimed a continued decline in killings involving female victims. While Argentina's Judiciary is responsible for classifying cases as femicides, Monteoliva said homicides involving women fell by 10.8 percent in 2025 and by roughly 23 percent over the past two years. Of the 279 women killed last year, 200 cases were classified by the courts as femicides.

Beyond homicides, the government reported declines across several major crime categories. Simple and aggravated robberies fell by 21.6 percent compared with the previous year, reaching their lowest level in the official statistical series outside the exceptional circumstances of the 2020 pandemic lockdowns. Theft offences declined by 17.4 percent.

Authorities also reported decreases in crimes linked to drug-trafficking organisations. Offences involving the organisation, financing and production of narcotics fell by 4.3 percent, while smuggling-related crimes declined by 5.1 percent.

Monteoliva additionally noted that Argentina received an "A" rating for Statistical Quality from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in 2026 – the highest classification awarded to national criminal information systems. The certification assesses the reliability, transparency and methodological quality of official crime data, and places Argentina among the highest-rated countries internationally in the field of criminal statistics.

Preliminary figures for the first quarter of 2026 suggest the downward trend remains intact, with further reductions reported in both homicides and robberies, according to the Security Ministry.

– TIMES/NA/PERFIL