Earlier, this year, a Mexican think tank — the Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice — released a study ranking the world’s most violent cities in 2011, and the results were astonishing.
The 20 most violent cities were all in Latin America.
The USA had some alarming scores too, led by New Orleans at 21.
Other dangerous cities were located in Africa. None of the top 50 was in Europe or Asia, despite great unrest in those regions.
The ranking is based on murder rate per capita in 2011.
50. Johannesburg, South Africa
AP Photo
Homicides: 1,186
Inhabitants: 3,888,180
Murder rate: 30.50
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
49. Durban, South Africa
Homicides: 1,186
Inhabitants: 3,888,180
Murder rate: 30.54
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
48. Baltimore, United States
Homicides: 195
Inhabitants: 620,961
Murder rate: 31.40
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
47. Cuernavaca (metropolitan area)
AP Photo/Antonio Sierra
Homicides: 198
Inhabitants: 630,174
Murder rate: 31.42
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
46. Panama, Panama
Homicides: 543
Inhabitants: 1,713,070
Murder rate: 31.70
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
45. Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Homicides: 1,680
Inhabitants: 4,883,721
Murder rate: 34.40
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
44. Mosul, Iraq
Homicides: 636
Inhabitants: 1,800,000
Murder rate: 35.33
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
43. St. Louis, United States
Homicides: 113
Inhabitants: 319,294
Murder rate: 35.39
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
42. Barranquilla, Colombia
Homicides: 424
Inhabitants: 1,182,493
Murder rate: 35.86
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
41. Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Google Maps
Homicides: 381
Inhabitants: 1,050,930
Murder rate: 36.25
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
40. Goiânia, Brazil
Homicides: 484
Inhabitants: 1,302,001
Murder rate: 37.17
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
39. Curitiba, Brazil
AP Photo/Tereza Costa
Homicides: 720
Inhabitants: 1,890,272
Murder rate: 38.09
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
38. Monterrey, Mexico
Homicides: 1,680
Inhabitants: 4,160,339
Murder rate: 40.38
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
37. Fortaleza, Brazil
Homicides: 1,514
Inhabitants: 3,529,138
Murder rate: 42.90
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
36. Macapá, Brazil
Homicides: 225
Inhabitants: 499,116
Murder rate: 45.08
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
35. Pereira, Colombia
AP Photo/Scott Dalton
Homicides: 177
Inhabitants: 383,623
Murder rate: 46.14
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
34. Cape Town, South Africa
Homicides: 1,614
Inhabitants: 3,497,097
Murder rate: 46.15
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
33. Kingston (metropolitan area), Jamaica
Homicides: 550
Inhabitants: 1,169,808
Murder rate: 47.02
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
32. Recife, Brazil
Homicides: 1,793
Inhabitants: 3,717,640
Murder rate: 48.23
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
31. Cuiabá, Brazil
Homicides: 1,793
Inhabitants: 3,717,640
Murder rate: 48.32
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
30. Detroit, United States
Homicides: 346
Inhabitants: 713,777
Murder rate: 48.47
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
29. João Pessoa, Brazil
Homicides: 583
Inhabitants: 1,198,675
Murder rate: 48.64
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
28. Nuevo Laredo, Mexico
AP Photo/Gregory Bull
Homicides: 191
Inhabitants: 389,674
Murder rate: 49.02
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
27. São Luís, Brazil
Homicides: 516
Inhabitants: 1,014,837
Murder rate: 50.85
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
26. Manaus, Brazil
AP Photo/Raphael Alves-A Critica, File
Homicides: 1,079
Inhabitants: 2,106,866
Murder rate: 51.21
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
25. San Juan, Puerto Rico
Homicides: 225
Inhabitants: 427,789
Murder rate: 52.60
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
24. Barquisimeto, Venezuela
Homicides: 621
Inhabitants: 1,120,718
Murder rate: 55.41
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
23. Cúcuta, Colombia
AP Photo/Efrain Patino
Homicides: 335
Inhabitants: 597,385
Murder rate: 56.08
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
22. Salvador (and RMS), Brazil
Homicides: 2,037
Inhabitants: 3,574,804
Murder rate: 56.98
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
21. New Orleans, United States
Homicides: 199
Inhabitants: 343,829
Murder rate: 57.88
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
20. San Salvador, El Salvador
Homicides: 1,343
Inhabitants: 2,290,790
Murder rate: 58.63
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
19. Ciudad Guayana, Venezuela
Homicides: 554
Inhabitants: 940,477
Murder rate: 58.91
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
18. Veracruz, Mexico
Homicides: 418
Inhabitants: 697,414
Murder rate: 59.94
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
17. Vitoria, Brazil
Homicides: 1,143
Inhabitants: 1,685,384
Murder rate: 67.82
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
16. Tepic (metropolitan area), Mexico
Google Maps
Homicides: 299
Inhabitants: 439,362
Murder rate: 68.05
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
15. Mazatlán, Mexico
Homicides: 307
Inhabitants: 445,343
Murder rate: 68.94
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
14. Medellín, Colombia
Homicides: 1,624
Inhabitants: 2,309,446
Murder rate: 70.32
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
13. Culiacán, Mexico
AP Photo/Guillermo Arias
Homicides: 649
Inhabitants: 871,620
Murder rate: 74.46
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
12. Guatemala, Guatemala
Homicides: 2,248
Inhabitants: 3,014,060
Murder rate: 74.58
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
11. Cali, Colombia
AP Photo/Inaldo Perez
Homicides: 1,720
Inhabitants: 2,207,994
Murder rate: 77.90
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
10. Belém, Brazil
AP Photo/Lucivaldo Sena
Homicides: 1,639
Inhabitants: 2,100,319
Murder rate: 78.04
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
9. Durango, Mexico
Homicides: 474
Inhabitants: 593,389
Murder rate: 79.88
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
8. Chihuahua, Mexico
Homicides: 690
Inhabitants: 831,693
Murder rate: 82.96
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
7. Torreón (metropolitan area), Mexico
AP Photo
Homicides: 990
Inhabitants: 1,128,152
Murder rate: 87.75
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
6. Caracas Venezuela
Homicides: 3,164
Inhabitants: 3,205,463
Murder rate: 98.71
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
5. Distrito Central, Honduras
Homicides: 1,123
Inhabitants: 1,126,534
Murder rate: 99.69
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
4. Acapulco, Mexico
AP Photo/Bernandino Hernandez
Homicides: 1,029
Inhabitants: 804,412
Murder rate: 127.92
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
3. Maceió, Brazil
Google Maps
Homicides: 1,564
Inhabitants: 1,156,278
Murder rate: 135.26
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
2. Juárez, Mexico
Homicides: 1,974
Inhabitants: 1,335,890
Murder rate: 147.77
Source: The Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice
1. San Pedro Sula, Honduras
AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd
Homicides: 1,143
Inhabitants: 719,447
Murder rate: 158.87
