Ecuador: crime and justice

Where are Ecuador's crime figures published?

Ecuador's official crime figures, including violent deaths, are published by the Ministry of the Interior on its security statistics microsite, which blocked automated access on 15 October 2026, so no figures are given here.

The INEC also runs a victimisation and perception of insecurity survey. International bodies such as the UN Office on Drugs and Crime publish homicide rates for Ecuador where national figures exist.

Official sources: Ministry of the Interior

How many homicides are there in Ecuador?

6,547 deaths from assault (homicide) were registered in Ecuador in 2024, making it the second most common cause of death after heart disease, according to the INEC's 2024 death statistics bulletin. Homicides were 7.3% of all deaths.

The figure comes from death certificates and is provisional. Police and prosecution figures on intentional homicides are compiled by the Prosecutor's Office and the Ministry of the Interior through a joint statistics commission, as listed on the INEC's justice and crime page; the ministry's statistics site blocked automated access on 15 October 2026. Counts from the two sources can differ.

Official sources: 2024 death statistics bulletin · justice and crime page

How many people are in prison in Ecuador?

39,430 people were held in Ecuador's prisons on 28 August 2026, according to the prison service SNAI's August 2026 prison population report. 36,306 were men and 3,124 women.

22,511 had been sentenced and 16,201 were awaiting trial or the end of their case. Effective capacity was 27,631 places, so prisons held 11,799 more people than places, an overcrowding rate of about 42.7%. The prison population has risen from 36,906 on 2 January 2026. The SNAI publishes weekly figures by prison in each monthly report on its statistics page.

Official sources: August 2026 prison population report · statistics page

What is the homicide rate in Ecuador?

The latest figure from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, for 2023, is 45.7 per 100,000. No year since 2007 has been higher. It is 4th highest of 25 in Latin America & Caribbean, where the median is 19.1 per 100,000. World rank, highest first: 4th of 79.

How many women are murdered in Ecuador?

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime puts the homicide rate for women in Ecuador at 6.7 per 100,000 in 2023. It is the top of the series, which starts in 2005. It is 10th highest of 25 in Latin America & Caribbean, where the median is 3.4 per 100,000. World rank, highest first: 10th of 78.

How many men are murdered in Ecuador?

According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the homicide rate for men in Ecuador was 84.5 per 100,000 in 2023. That is the highest since at least 2005. It is 4th highest of 25 in Latin America & Caribbean, where the median is 33.1 per 100,000. World rank, highest first: 4th of 78.

How many people have died in armed conflict in Ecuador?

In 2019, battle-related deaths in Ecuador was 2, according to the Uppsala Conflict Data Program. That compares with 50 in 2008. Worldwide: 37th of 39.