Among Brazil’s five regions, the Northeast had the worst rate of violent intentional deaths (IVD) in 2022. The region had 36.8 IVDs per 100,000 inhabitants. On the other hand, the region also followed the national trend of fall in the number of IVDs, with a reduction recorded when compared to 2021. Despite the positive results, the region still has the highest total number of IVDs, 20,122. Moreover, the region had 26 cities among the 50 most violent, 11 in a single state.
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Southeast’s Violent Deaths
From 2021 to 2022, the Northeast Region had a 4.5% decrease – the biggest one among the regions – in the total number of intentional violent deaths – intentional homicides, robberies followed by murder, intentional bodily injury followed by death, and feminicides, which represent less 889 deaths. Cases went from 21,011 to 21,122.
Bahia – State with the Worst Results
Bahia was the state with the worst results in the Northeast region, with 6,659 violent deaths, the highest total number in the country. At the same time, it had 47.1 IVDs per 100,000 inhabitants. Despite the high rate and total numbers, BA had an improvement, a 5.9% decrease in violent deaths. This result is due to a decrease in two of the parameters that compose the IVDs: intentional homicides (-8.9%); robbery followed by murder (-36.5%). Intentional bodily injury followed by death increase by 14.3%.
The number of people killed by policemen on duty and off duty rose by 9.66%, which made the Bahia’s police the most lethal in Brazil, with 1,464 people killed. The distance to the second place, Rio’s police, is a total of 134 deaths.
22 Cities Among the 50 Most Violent
The Northeast has 22 cities listed among the country’s 50 most violent. Once again the state that stands out here is Bahia, where 11 of the most violent cities are located. All the four first positions are occupied by cities in Bahia: Jequié (88.8 IVD); Santo Antônio de Jesus (88.3); Simões Filho (87.4); Camaçari (82.1). Pernambuco, Paraiba, Sergipe, Ceará, Maranhão, Piaui and Rio Grande do Norte are also states with cities on the list.
Salvador – Most Violent Capital
The worst security conditions according to the IVD rate, was that of the capital of Bahia, Salvador. Even though, the city had 8.7% decrease in violent deaths, with absolute numbers going from 1,764 to 1,596, the IVD rate was sustained at an elevated level of 66.
Regardless of the results verified in terms of rates, the absolute numbers from Rio de Janeiro city are far above those from Vitória. While the first had 1,319 violent deaths in 2022, the second had 87.
Source: 2023 Brazilian Public Security Yearbook.
