Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum speaking at one of her morning news conferences

Official data from the Mexican government recently revealed that far fewer intentional homicides were recorded nationwide in 2025 compared with the previous two years.

While intentional homicide levels remain high, Mexico saw a nearly 23 percent drop in cases compared with 2024. Government data show federal authorities recorded 20,674 intentional homicides nationwide in 2025, a decline of 6,041 cases from 2024, when 26,715 were reported. The figure also represents 5,627 fewer cases than in 2023, which recorded 26,301 homicides.

According to El País, the figures are based on information compiled by state prosecutors and federal agencies and published through the National Security Commission's daily homicide report. The data show that in 2025 the country recorded fewer killings month by month than in previous years. Only January, with 2,037 cases, exceeded a comparable month from earlier years, surpassing February 2023, which recorded 1,984 cases.

In a statement released in December 2025, the federal government said other crimes have also declined as a result of the security strategy implemented by President Claudia Sheinbaum.

From October 2024 to November 2025, authorities arrested 38,773 people for high impact crimes, seized 20,169 firearms, confiscated 311 tons of drugs and dismantled 1,760 clandestine laboratories. Between September 2024 and November 2025, the government also reported a 37 percent reduction in the daily average of intentional homicides, falling from 86.9 victims per day to 54.7.

"The homicide results we have seen over these months are very important," Sheinbaum said in December during one of her morning news conferences.

Marcela Figueroa Franco, head of the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System, said intentional homicides have followed a downward trend for the past 14 months.

She added that the daily annual average has fallen 35 percent compared with 2018, dropping from 100.5 to 65.1, positioning 2025 as the year with the fewest homicides in that period.

From January through October 2025, seven states accounted for 51 percent of all intentional homicide cases nationwide. Guanajuato led with 11 percent, followed by Chihuahua with 7.6 percent, Baja California with 7.3 percent, Sinaloa with 7.1 percent, the State of Mexico with 6.5 percent, Guerrero with 5.7 percent and Michoacan with 5.5 percent.

Violent start to 2026

Although government data show a downward trend in intentional homicides over the past 14 months, 2026 has had a difficult start in that regard.

According to a report published by Infobae Mexico, a total of 90 victims of intentional homicide were reported nationwide during the first two days of the year. On Jan. 1, at least one killing was recorded in 17 states, based on reports from state prosecutors cited by the federal Security Cabinet.

Data from the intentional homicide report issued by the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection also detailed that 49 killings were recorded across the country during the first 24 hours of the year. Chihuahua and Sinaloa reported the highest numbers on that day, combining for 17 cases.

An additional 41 cases were reported on Jan. 2. On Jan. 3, authorities in the state of Sinaloa reported the discovery of six more people killed in separate violent incidents, four of which were classified as intentional homicides.

Originally published on Latin Times