Security on the Yucatán Peninsula is uneven. Yucatán is the most peaceful state in the country, while Quintana Roo is among the five least peaceful, with a sustained decline in its levels since 2015.
However, Yucatán has fallen in the rankings for perceived safety and registered a decrease in violent crime, warns the 2025 Mexico Peace Index, which reviews various indicators to compile its statistics.
According to the study, based on 2024 data, Quintana Roo registered the highest rate of violent crime in the country, with 5,066 per 100,000 inhabitants. This level not only places it first nationally but also reflects a sustained deterioration.
Since 2015, the incidence of violent crime has increased by 50%, driven primarily by the rise in sexual violence—which has doubled—and domestic violence, which has nearly doubled. Furthermore, the state registered some of the highest rates of assault and robbery in the country in 2024.
In contrast, Yucatán has maintained the lowest rate in the country since 2019. In 2024, it reported 132 crimes per 100,000 inhabitants, less than half the rate of the second-best performing state, Tlaxcala. The cumulative reduction since 2015 has reached 87.4%, one of the most significant nationwide.
However, the report warns that Yucatán has registered two consecutive years of decline in this indicator, with increases of 17% in 2023 and 14.1% in 2024. Although the figures remain low, the change in trend is highlighted as a cause for concern.
Nationally, the rate of sexual violence increased by 137% between 2015 and 2024, rising from 125 to 297 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. In this context, Quintana Roo shows the most severe deterioration in absolute terms: it went from 879 to 1,834 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, the highest figure in the country.
Yucatán, on the other hand, remains, along with Tlaxcala, the state with the lowest rates of both sexual and domestic violence, and has also registered the greatest improvements since 2015. In contrast to the national trend—where sexual violence increased by 137% in the same period—the state has managed to contain this phenomenon.
In homicides, Quintana Roo showed a decrease in 2024. However, crimes linked to organized crime increased by 25.1%. This surge was a determining factor in the state’s ranking among the five states with the lowest levels of peace, for the first time since 2019.
Added to this is its position as the state most affected by kidnapping and human trafficking, with a rate of 22.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, the highest in Mexico and representing the greatest decline in this sub-indicator over the last decade.
In contrast, Yucatán ranks among the three states with the lowest incidence of organized crime, along with Tlaxcala and Chiapas. Furthermore, it registered no cases of kidnapping or human trafficking in 2024.
On the other hand, Yucatán has consistently maintained the lowest homicide rate in the country. In 2024, it registered 2.2 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, more than ten times lower than the national average of 23.3. Mérida stands out as the state capital with the lowest incidence, with approximately 1.8 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants.
The state also stands out for its minimal use of firearms: with 0.6 incidents per 100,000 inhabitants, its rate is 39 times lower than the national average. Furthermore, only 11.8% of homicides are committed with firearms, the lowest proportion in the country.
The contrast is also evident in the handling of missing persons. In Yucatán, of the 5,907 cases registered since 2010, more than 90% have been located alive. Only 3.8% remain missing, and 3.1% were found deceased.
In Quintana Roo, of the 3,490 cases, 36.6% remain missing. In this regard, Campeche shares similar characteristics with Yucatán: more than 90% of reported missing persons have been found alive, 5.9% remain missing, and 1.8% were found deceased.
One of the most illustrative indicators is the economic impact. Quintana Roo has a per capita impact of 69,542 pesos, while in Yucatán it is 12,309 pesos.
In Quintana Roo, the economic cost of combating violence represents 26.8% of the state’s Gross Domestic Product. Between 2015 and 2024, this impact grew by 98%.
In Yucatán, the cost of containing violence is only 6.2% of GDP. This is the lowest level in the country and reflects a difference of more than five times compared to Quintana Roo.
Source: yucatan
