Brazil records drop in homicides but sharp regional and demographic gaps persist

The municipality of Rodrigues Alves in Brazil has gone a full year without any homicides, achieving a 100 % case‑resolution rate since the last murder in June 2025, according to local police chief Marcílio Laurentino. The results are credited to intensified investigations and efforts against organized crime, alongside actions targeting sexual violence against children and domestic abuse.

Nationally, Brazil’s Atlas of Violence 2026 reports that total homicides fell to 42,590 in 2024 – the lowest figure since 1998 – but the decline is partly due to poorer data quality, with 17,207 deaths initially classified as indeterminate. When these “hidden” cases are reassigned, the estimated total rises to roughly 49,673, cutting the year‑on‑year reduction to 0.4 %. The report highlights stark regional disparities, with the highest murder rates in Amapá, Bahia, Pernambuco, Alagoas and Ceará, and the lowest in São Paulo, Santa Catarina and the Federal District. Young men, particularly Black and poor individuals, remain the most affected group, accounting for 46.5 % of all homicides in 2024.

These findings underscore ongoing inequalities in Brazil’s public‑security outcomes despite overall progress.