Murder Map of São Paulo Reflects Sweden at Times, Mexico at Others

10/09/2017 - 10h45

An exclusive report conducted by Folha, compiled murder statistics throughout the city of São Paulo on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis.

The statistics varied considerably: while neighborhoods like Jardim Paulista reflected a reality akin to developed countries like Sweden, neighborhoods like Jaçanã reflected the numbers of Mexico.

When it comes to murders, Jaçanã, which is in northern São Paulo, surpassed the historically violent neighborhoods in the southern district, following two bloodsheds that took place there this year.

The occurrences led to a murder rate of 23 per 100,000 inhabitants, surpassing the murder rate of Mexico, which is caught up in the middle of a war against drug cartels.

Reporters sorted through the state government's raw database, where they came across thousands of murders. The statistics selected include homicides, repeated bodily injuries leading to death, as well as armed robberies followed by death.

In terms of overall murders, Jardim São Luís, which is in the southern district of São Paulo, tops the list, with 43 murders registered this year.

The number represents a murder rate of 16 per 100,000 inhabitants: more than twice the São Paulo city average, and higher than the murder rate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The murder rate in Brazil is 27 per 100,000 inhabitants.

Murder rates in 33 of the city's 96 neighborhoods are lower than the average rate in the US (4.8 per 100,000 inhabitants), while the murder rates registered in 28 of the neighborhoods are higher than Nigeria's (9.7 per 100,000 inhabitants).

Murder rates in certain neighborhoods in downtown São Paulo, such as Sé, exceed the threshold of 70 per 100,000 inhabitants. However, such statistics do not take into consideration the constant flow of commuters, and therefore do not reflect the reality of such neighborhoods.

Translated by THOMAS MATHEWSON

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