Following the Latin American trend, Brazil has managed to reduce its intentional violent deaths since 2018. Last year, the country registered 46,328 cases of this type, the lowest number in more than a decade. The mortality rate was 22.8 per 100 thousand inhabitants, a decrease of 3.4% compared to the previous year. In the vast majority of cases (73.6%), firearms were the instrument used to kill. The data is in the 18th Brazilian Public Security Yearbook, released on Thursday (18).
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Still High
Despite falling, lethality is still considered quite high compared to the global scenario. In absolute numbers, Brazil is the country with the most homicides on the planet. In relative terms, it ranks 18th as the most violent country. With 3% of the world’s population, Brazil accounts for 10.1% of the 458,000 homicides recorded in 119 countries in 2021, the most recent data.
Causes
The lethality observed in the last year has a more localized character, concentrated mainly in cities that suffer from disputes between criminal factions over the national and international drug markets. In parallel, the more pronounced violence in some cities is also explained by the police response to this phenomenon. Security forces, especially the military, have reacted in a more extreme way to crime.
Above Average States
18 states have rates above the national average. Amapá is the most violent state (69.9), followed by Bahia (46.5) and Pernambuco (40.2). The least lethal are São Paulo (7.8), Santa Catarina (8.9) and Distrito Federal (11.1).
The profile of victims remains the same: black (78%), aged up to 29 years (49.4%) and male (90.2%).
Most Violent City
Santana is the most lethal city in Brazil, among municipalities with more than 100,000 inhabitants. Santana’s rate of intentional violent deaths (92.9) is more than four times higher than the national average (22.8). In 2023, the municipality recorded 100 intentional violent deaths, 72 of which were intentional homicides, one robbery followed by murder, and 27 deaths resulting from police intervention. The previous year, Santana appeared in 31st place on the list of the most violent. It reached the top after an 88.2% growth in the indicator in twelve months.
Following the ranking of the most violent in 2023, are Camaçari (BA), Jequié (BA), Sorriso (MT), Simões Filho (BA), Feira de Santana (BA), Juazeiro (BA), Maranguape (CE), Macapá (AP) and Eunápolis (BA).
Analysis:
The downward trend in intentional violent deaths in Brazil can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, the demographic structure of the country has changed. Between 2004 and 2020, Brazil recorded a decrease in the number of adolescents and young people aged 10 to 19 and stability in those aged 20 to 29, groups with a high risk of mortality from homicide.
Secondly, state policies focused on preventing violence, such as the integration of police actions and the use of modern technologies, contributed to the reduction. Several Brazilian states adopted homicide reduction programs in more critical territories, which sought to integrate police actions and preventive measures.
Finally, a truce between criminal factions involved in drug trafficking, especially in the North and Northeast regions, helped to reduce conflicts and, consequently, deaths. Between 2016 and 2017, prison-based factions in São Paulo and Rio fought an unprecedented war, which resulted in an explosion of deaths across all states. A truce between these factions helped contain the murders.
Sources: O Globo [1], [2]; A Folha de SP.
