Which country has the lowest femicide rate?
According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, there is “no commonly agreed definition of what constitutes ‘femicide’”. It has historically been defined as the killing of women and girls because they are female.
Collecting data on the motive for a killing can be difficult. Because of this, a broad definition of femicide – “any killings of women or girls” – is often used.
The World Health Organization produces a database comparing the causes of death in 183 countries. It includes data on deaths caused by “interpersonal violence”.
Singapore, Luxembourg and Japan had the lowest female interpersonal violence death rate in 2016, at 0.2 deaths per 100,000 women and girls.
A death rate takes into account a country’s population size, allowing for accurate comparisons.
Related: Minister Zulu wrong. South Africa ranks high, but not ‘number one in the killing of women’
