United Nations report shows rising organized crime despite falling homicide rates

A report by the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) titled ‘Crime and Justice in a Changing World’ reveals that while global homicide rates have declined, organized crime is expanding in power and influence. The global homicide rate fell from 5.9 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2015 to 5.2 in 2023.

Despite this decline, criminal networks are becoming more lucrative and diversified by infiltrating legal economies. In Latin America, cartels are moving beyond drug trafficking to invest in agriculture, mining, fishing, and wildlife trafficking. In Southeast Asia, specifically within special economic zones in Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar, criminal groups are heavily involved in human trafficking and cyberfraud.

Digital advancements are also lowering barriers to entry for criminal activity. The report highlights the rise of generative artificial intelligence and ‘cybercrime-as-a-service’ models. Additionally, Europol estimates that approximately one in five criminal networks in Europe operates simultaneously across multiple illicit markets.