New crime (and crime victim) statistics have been released by the SESNSP, the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System. The complete publication, updated through June 30, 2020 is available at this link:

As noted in the Animal Politico article (link posted below): “In the first 6 months of this year, 17,982 people were murdered. On average nearly 100 premeditated murders every day in 2020, the majority of them with firearms. It is an unprecedented level of violence for a first half-year in the country. The victims of homicide and feminicide officially reported in the first six months of this year exceed by more than 300 the 17,653 documented in 2019, which until now was the highest level of violence recorded in the past 25 years.”

Here are the numbers as I have tallied them based on reviewing this SESNSP document each month:

The Mexican government began counting feminicidios as a separate category of victims of homicide who were determined to have been killed “for reasons of gender…”  A total of 17,982 homicidios dolosos (intentional homicides) and feminicidios were recorded January-June 2020–this is an average of 98.8 murders each day in 2020. The statistics show a notable increase (from 73 to 99) feminicidios between May and June 2020. If this level of homicide continues, it is likely that the 2020 death toll may exceed 36,000–the highest number ever recorded in the official Mexican data for these crimes.

The Animal Politico article below details other comparisons that emerge from the statistics which indicate a steady rise in homicides over the past 6 years. Eleven states in Mexico show increases in homicides, lead by Zacatecas and Michoacan in terms of rate of increase in the number of murder victims. In terms of the raw numbers, the increases in Guanajuato, Chihuahua and Michoacan are especially serious since these three states (plus Baja California, Estado de Mexico, and Jalisco) account for 9,193 homicides–more than half of all homicides committed in the country. Of course, this is related to the fact that these states are also large in terms of population. It will be necessary to review the numbers in relation to the populations (murder rate per 100,000) to actually determine which states are overall most violent in terms of homicide.

The Instituto Nacional de Estadistica e Geografia (INEGI) usually releases its homicide data for the past year in July, so we may be able to get an idea of how the states compare in terms of murder rates. To recall, the SESNSP data compiles the number of homicide victims indicated in the homicide investigation files opened by the public prosecutors in each Mexican state. INEGI compiles homicide data based on the determinations of cause of death as indicated by legal medical examinations from the various morgues across the country.  molly molloy

En los primeros seis meses de este año fueron asesinadas 17 mil 982 personas en México. Se trata, en promedio, de casi 100 asesinatos de forma premeditada todos los días en 2020, la mayoría de ellas con armas de fuego. Es un nivel de violencia inédito para un primer semestre en el país.

Full article from Animal Politico at the link:

https://www.animalpolitico.com/2020/07/record-violencia-semestre-2020-asesinatos/