Rise in homicide rates noted in Finland as experts call for caution in analysis

It is too early to draw conclusions about the recent increase in homicide rates, according to researcher Miisa Törölä from the Institute of Criminology and Legal Policy (Krimo). Statistics Finland reported 75 homicides from January to September this year, compared to a total of 57 for all of last year. Törölä emphasizes that examining these numbers requires a longer perspective to identify broader trends.

September was a particularly grim month, with 16 homicides reported. Törölä points out that substantial annual variations have been observed even within the 2020s. For instance, there were 86 reported cases in 2020, nearly 30 more than last year. She noted that there’s no clear reason for the recent spikes in short-term statistics.

Statistics Finland adds that last year marked the lowest number of homicides recorded in Finland’s history. Törölä also highlights a long-term decrease in homicide cases, with a 25% drop from 2009 to 2022. Several factors contribute to this trend, including an aging population and changing lifestyles that reduce interpersonal conflicts.

Moreover, Törölä suggests that improvements in emergency and healthcare services over the past decades likely have resulted in fewer fatal outcomes from serious violence. Pasi Nieminen, a police commissioner from the Central Finland police department, earlier assessed that the nature of homicides has changed, with fewer instances occurring among drinking groups. The reduction of such groups may help account for the overall decrease in homicide rates in recent years.