Northeast has highest murder rate in Brazil
"Comparing with international rates, countries with a history of civil war, like Congo (30.8), and [countries] with high rates of murder associated with drug trafficking, like Colombia (33.4), have lower rates than the Northeast region," read the report. 
Northeast is the Brazilian region with the highest murder rate (33.76 deaths for every 100,000 people), followed by the North Region (31.09) and the Central-West (26.26). The Southeast and South regions presented lower rates, respectively 16.91 and 14.36. Data are from the report on Murder Diagnosis in Brazil, released Thursday (Oct. 15) by the National Secretariat for Public Security, from Ministry of Justice.
In Northeast, Ceará is the state with the highest murder rate, 46.9 deaths for every 100,000 people, which means 4,144 homicides. The second state is Sergipe (45 deaths for every 100,000 people). In the state of Ceará, the highest murder rates were recorded in Fortaleza (72.7), Maracanaú (73.7) and Caucaia (65.8), in the metropolitan area.
In absolute figures, the state of Bahia has recorded the highest number of murders in 2014, 5,450 (36 for every 100,000 people). The following states in absolute figures are Rio de Janeiro (4,610) and São Paulo (4,294), showing murder rates of 28 and 9.8 for every 100,000 people. In absolute ranking, Ceará reaches fourth. The state of Santa Catarina registers the country's lowest rate (8.7 deaths for every 100,000 people, totaling 587 deaths).
"Comparing with international rates, countries with a history of civil war, like Congo (30.8), and [countries] with high rates of murder associated with drug trafficking, like Colombia (33.4), have lower rates than the Northeast region," read the report.
Translated by Amarílis Anchieta
Fonte: Northeast has highest murder rate in Brazil
