According to the Regional Snapshot on Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16) fewer than half of the population in Latin America and the Caribbean  feel safe walking alone at night. The region continues to record the highest levels of lethal violence globally, while less than half of victims report robbery or physical assault and less than one in five report sexual violence to authorities. These are not just statistics. They are signals of deeper concerns that are slowing development across the region.

Launched by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) at the margins of the Sustainable Development Forum at ECLAC in Santiago, the Regional Snapshot provides a concise, data-driven overview of progress, persistent gaps and priority areas for action across Latin America and the Caribbean.

The findings could not be more relevant. In 2025, economic, social and political uncertainty in the region reached its highest level on record — more than two-and-a-half times higher than the year before.

UNDP, UNODC and OHCHR are not just releasing a report — they are putting forward a concrete, joint plan to translate evidence into a shared agenda for change.

"At its core, democracy is about people’s lived experience. It is about whether institutions deliver, whether inequalities are reduced, and whether trust can be rebuilt between citizens and the state. Strengthening peace, justice and institutions is not just a governance goal — it is the foundation of inclusive, resilient and people-centered development." said Michelle Muschett UNDP Region Director for latin America and the Caribbean. "The true test is simple: do people feel safer, does justice work for them, and do their voices shape their future? That is the true test of SDG 16 — and it is one we must meet", she added. 

Violence, insecurity and institutional challenges

Latin America and the Caribbean remains the region most affected by organized crime and gang-related violence globally, while crime reporting remains low. What is especially concerning is not only the scale of violence, but how much of it remains invisible.

• The region’s homicide rate stands at 19.7 per 100,000 people, the highest in the world
• Men are killed at a rate of 36 per 100,000, far above global averages. 
• Robbery remains widespread, with a median prevalence of 4.5 per cent, compared with 0.6 per cent in Europe and North America. 

“These levels of lethal violence show how deeply organized crime and illicit economies continue to affect communities across Latin America and the Caribbean,” said Amado de Andrés, UNODC Regional Representative for the Andean Region and the Southern Cone. “Reducing homicides and strengthening the rule of law are essential not only for people’s safety, but for the region’s long-term stability and development.”

Women and children disproportionately affected

Gender-based violence remains a critical concern. 

• The region recorded the second highest rate globally of femicide committed by intimate partners or family members — 1.5 victims per 100,000 women, compared with a global average of 1.2.
• Nearly one in five women report having experienced sexual violence before the age of 18.
• Over half of children in the region are subjected to violent discipline at home. 
• In Central America and the Caribbean, children account for nearly 60 per cent of detected trafficking victims, among the highest shares globally.

Justice systems, corruption and illicit flows

The region has made real strides, but formal progress isn't translating into felt change. Less than half the population feels they have a say in government decisions. Trust in institutions remains under sustained strain. Bribery among the population and businesses remains widespread.

• The region has the highest incarceration rate globally (305 per 100,000 people), although the share of pretrial detainees has declined from 41 per cent to 30 per cent since 2015.
• Only four countries — Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru — have produced national estimates of illicit financial flows, underscoring persistent gaps in measuring illicit economies.
• Countries with high levels of firearm seizures also report low arms tracing rates (below 42 per cent), reflecting the complexity of identifying the origin of illicit weapons and disrupting trafficking networks.

Civic space under pressure

Killings of human rights defenders have been recorded in around 80 per cent of countries in the region, highlighting persistent risks to civic space, accountability and fundamental freedoms.

“Attacks against human rights defenders are a clear warning that civic space remains under serious threat,” said Matthias Benhke, OHCHR Regional Director Americas. “Protecting fundamental freedoms and ensuring accountability are essential to advancing justice and inclusion.”

Critical data gaps

Despite the scale of these challenges, only 36.9 per cent of countries in the region have data on SDG 16 indicators since 2015, limiting effective policymaking and accountability. Combined with low levels of crime reporting, these gaps mean that significant forms of violence remain undercounted. At the same time, the region benefits from relatively strong data collection systems and experience in measuring violence and governance, providing a foundation for improving SDG 16 monitoring.

What can be done?

UNDP, UNODC and OHCHR are putting forward a joint operational offer to governments that translates the report's findings into concrete action. The three agencies call for scaling what works, moving beyond pilots to systematically expand approaches already delivering results on the ground, alongside a concrete, integrated UN offer tailored to each country's context and built on evidence, innovation and political momentum.

On financing, new models are urgently needed: blended finance, private capital and development banking must be mobilized to invest in justice systems, prevention and digital public infrastructure. At the same time, governments need support to counter illicit financial flows — recovering revenues lost to corruption and channeling them back into rights-based development.

Underpinning all of this is a call to close the region's critical data gaps, particularly for violence affecting women, children and vulnerable communities, so that policies are built on evidence rather than estimates. And strengthening oversight institutions and safeguarding human rights defenders is needed as the essential foundation for rebuilding trust between citizens and the state.

Read the full report: Regional Snapshot on Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16)