Mexico reports a 53% decrease in average daily homicides
In Mexico, the average number of homicides in August was 40.8 per day — 53% lower than in September 2024, said Marcela Figueroa, head of the National Public Security System. According to her, this is the lowest monthly daily average since the start of Claudia Sheinbaum’s presidential term.
As Mexico News Daily reports, August 2026 had the lowest number of homicides for any August since 2015. Compared with August 2025, the number of homicides fell by 32.1%, according to the presented data. The preliminary annual homicide rate per 100,000 population in 2026 is estimated at 12.9, which is 38.6% lower year-on-year.
Homicides in seven states
From January to August 2026, 11,586 homicides were recorded in the country. Nearly half of them — 5,715, or 49.3% — occurred in seven states: Guanajuato, Baja California, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, the State of Mexico, Guerrero and Morelos. The highest numbers of homicides during this period were registered in Guanajuato — 983, Baja California — 970, and Chihuahua — 924.
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Figueroa also said that the number of homicides decreased in 30 of Mexico’s 32 federal entities. According to her data, the largest annual declines were recorded in the states of San Luis Potosí, Nayarit, Quintana Roo, Baja California Sur and Zacatecas.
Arrests and seizures
Security Minister Omar García Harfuch acknowledged the decrease in homicides but stressed that this “does not mean the work is finished.” According to him, certain regions still require constant attention. Figueroa reported that in August, an average of 391 high-impact crimes per day were recorded in the country — 39% fewer than in October 2024.
According to García Harfuch, from October 1, 2024, to August 31, 2026, 67,253 people were detained on suspicion of committing high-impact crimes, including 111 officials. Over the same period, security forces seized 34,353 firearms; the minister said that 80% of these weapons entered Mexico from the United States. The Navy also seized 88 tonnes of cocaine at sea and 534.8 tonnes of drugs on land.
