Victimization Surveys in Latin America: Reliable Data to Strengthen Peace, Justice, and Public Trust

In the context of World Statistics Day 2025 and the 14th anniversary of the UNODC- INEGI Center of Excellence.

1. Victimization surveys as sources of evidence

In Latin America and the Caribbean, victimization surveys have become a key tool for understanding insecurity and violence from the perspective of citizens. Currently, 18 countries in the region have national surveys or specialized modules, strengthening information systems for Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace, justice, and strong institutions.

These surveys make it possible to measure several SDG indicators, such as the prevalence of victimization (16.1.3), perceptions of safety (16.1.4), reporting to authorities (16.3.1), incidence of bribery (16.5.1), and prevalence of victims of physical or sexual harassment (11.7.2), generating evidence for more effective and equitable public policies.

Victimization surveys are statistical tools that provide a more accurate picture of the magnitude and characteristics of crime from the perspective of the population.

Unlike police or court records, these surveys collect information directly from individuals about whether they have been victims of crime, even if they have not reported it. In this way, they offer a more complete picture of crime, help identify patterns of risk, and allow for an assessment of public confidence in security and justice institutions. Their use is essential for designing evidence-based public policies and guiding more effective prevention actions.

2. Geographic coverage and regional diversity

The surveys collected in our region seek to address different needs and generate information not only at the national level, but also at the local level. Thus, countries have been able to invest resources to obtain information at the subnational level, as well as to differentiate crime phenomena between urban and rural areas. Countries such as Costa Rica and Saint Lucia have conducted national measurements, while Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic have integrated regions and major cities, offering a comprehensive territorial view of security. For their part, Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Panama have focused their measurements on urban areas or major cities, where population density and crime dynamics require more accurate information.

Table 1. Geographic coverage of victimization surveys

Country	Acronym	Disaggregation by area	Geographic disaggregation
Argentina	ENV 2017	Urban	Cities
Chile	ENUSC2024	Urban	Cities
Bolivia	EVIC 2023	Urban	Cities
Peru	ENEVIC	Urban	Cities
Peru	ENAPRES 2024	Urban	Cities
Colombia	ECSC 2022	Urban and Rural	Cities
Panama	ENVI 2017	Urban	Urban provinces
Costa Rica	ENSCR 2022	National	Country
Costa Rica	ENAHO 2022	Urban and Rural	Regions
El Salvador	EVPI 2018	Urban and Rural	Country
Guatemala	EPEVI 2028	Urban and Rural	Departments
Mexico	ENVIPE 2025	Urban and Rural	Entities and cities
Dominican Republic	ENHOGAR 2022	Urban and Rural	Provinces and Major Cities
Jamaica	JNCVS 2024	Urban and Rural	Regions
Saint Lucia	SLNCVS 2020	National and geographical area (north and south)	Geographical area

Source: UNODC. Victimization Survey Atlas.

3. VICLAC 14 years, 14 countries: a regional initiative to harmonize and strengthen

The Latin American and Caribbean Initiative on Victimization Surveys (VICLAC), made up of a group of experts from 14 countries and coordinated by the UNODC- INEGI Center of Excellence, is a regional community of practice that has promoted methodological development, harmonization, and continuous updating of victimization surveys, ensuring their relevance, alignment with international standards, and comparability between countries.

Since 2014, VICLAC, through the Center of Excellence, has provided:

- Technical assistance in design, sampling, and data processing.

- Methodological validation of questionnaires and SDG modules.

- Training and institutional strengthening in analysis and dissemination.

- Opportunities for cooperation between national statistics offices and relevant security institutions.

Thanks to these efforts, Latin America has established itself as a global benchmark in victimization measurement.

4. Measurable progress and evidence-based decisions

Most countries with victimization surveys report information that contributes directly to indicator 16.1.3, which measures the prevalence of physical, psychological, and, in several cases, sexual violence. Likewise, almost all include modules on perceptions of safety around the home (16.1.4) and report , and reporting to the authorities (16.3.1), reflecting a growing interest in assessing public confidence in justice institutions.

Some countries, such as Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Saint Lucia, also collect information on experiences of bribery (16.5.1), a crucial indicator for monitoring corruption in everyday life. However, few countries (Peru, Chile, the Dominican Republic, and Saint Lucia) measure SDG indicator 11.7.2 related to harassment.

Table 2. Coverage of SDG indicators in victimization surveys

Country	Acronym	SDG
		16.1.3, physical (P), psychological (P), and sexual (S).	16.1.4 Sense of security around the home	16.3.1. Reporting	16.5.1 Bribery	11.7.2 Harassment
Argentina	ENV 2017	FPS
Chile	ENUSC 2024	FP
Bolivia	EVIC 2023	FPS
Peru	ENEVIC 2017	FP
Peru	ENAPRES 2024	FPS
Colombia	ECSC 2022	FP
Panama	ENVI 2017	FP
Costa Rica	ENSCR 2022
Costa Rica	ENAHO 2022	FP
El Salvador	EVPI 2018	FP
Guatemala	EPEVI 2028	FP
Mexico	ENVIPE 2025	FPS
Dominican Republic	ENHOGAR 2022	FP
Jamaica	JNCVS 2024	FP
Saint Lucia	SLNCVS 2020	FP

Source: UNODC. Victimization Survey Atlas.

"Victimization surveys transform data into decisions that strengthen coexistence and peace."

UNODC-INEGI Center of Excellence.

5. 14 years connecting the region with data, knowledge, and experience sharing

On World Statistics Day, the Center of Excellence celebrates 14 years of supporting countries in the region in implementing harmonized concepts, adopting international classifications, and conceptual frameworks that strengthen the quality, reliability, and usefulness of data.

Throughout these 14 years, the CoE has promoted the exchange of experiences, the identification of best statistical practices, and methodological innovation to measure complex phenomena such as gender-based violence, human trafficking, femicide, and illicit financial flows.

WorldStatisticsDay | VICLAC| SDG16 | DataThatTransforms

Victimization Atlas: https://www.cdeunodc.inegi.org.mx/unodc/index.php/mapa-2/index.htm

UNODC-INEGI Center of Excellence, October 2025