Northeast Brazil Dominates Homicide Rankings as Bahia Records Sharp Violence Drop

The 2026 Atlas da Violência, published by Ipea and the Brazilian Public Security Forum, shows that four of the five Brazilian states with the highest homicide rates are in the Northeast. Amapá leads with 47.1 killings per 100,000 people, followed by Ceará (43.7), Bahia (42.6), Alagoas (39.8) and Pernambuco (38.6). Ceará’s homicide rate rose 44.2% between 2019 and 2024, contrary to the national trend of an 8.2% decline.

Criminal law expert Roberto Moura explained that the surge reflects new illicit‑market routes: “The Northeast stopped being a peripheral line and became a strategic corridor. Where routes are contested, lethal violence concentrates.”

In Bahia, violent deaths fell 20.3% from January to May 2026, according to state security officials. Municipalities such as Salvador, Feira de Santana and Juazeiro posted notable reductions, credited to coordinated police intelligence and the “Bahia for Peace” programme.

These patterns suggest a re‑configuration of organized‑crime logistics, with the Northeast serving as a key hub for arms and drug flows that affect broader national security.