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Story: Violent crime

Murders, 1930s–2010s

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The number of recorded murder offences in New Zealand increased dramatically during the 20th century before declining in the first two decades of the 21st century.

Note: Counting rules for murder statistics have changed over time (i.e., cases vs offences vs victimisations). Trends in homicide statistics should be interpreted with caution. See New Zealand Police website for more details.

Using this item

Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Source: New Zealand Police, Historic NZ Murder Rate Report 1926-2021

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How to cite this page

Greg Newbold, Violent crime – Murder and manslaughter, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/table/26484/murders-1930s-2010s (accessed 12 June 2026).

Story by Greg Newbold, published 22 March 2011, reviewed and revised 3 May 2024 with assistance from Greg Newbold.