13 November 2023, Berlin
On the first day of Trans Awareness Week and one week before Trans Day of Remembrance, TGEU (Transgender Europe) releases the annual update of the Trans Murder Monitoring research project. This project tracks murders of trans and gender diverse people globally.
321 trans and gender diverse people were reported murdered between 1 October 2022 and 30 September 2023. This total is very close to the 327 cases reported in the previous year, showing that deadly violence against trans people remains at a consistently high level. With 236 cases, Latin America and the Caribbean again report the highest number of murders out of all regions. Murders in Armenia, Belgium, and Slovakia were reported for the first time this year.
Trans Murder Monitoring 2023 data shows that:
- 321 trans and gender diverse people were reported murdered.
- 94% of victims were trans women or trans feminine people.
- Globally, almost half (48%) of murdered trans people whose occupation is known were sex workers. This jumps to three-quarters (78%) in Europe.
- Trans people affected by racism make up 80% of the reported murders, a 15% increase from last year.
- 45% of trans people reported murdered in Europe whose migration background is known were migrants or refugees.
- The age group with the most murder victims was 19 to 25 years old. Of all cases with age data available, three-quarters (77%) were between 19 and 40 years old.
- Almost three-quarters (74%) of all registered murders were committed in Latin America and the Caribbean; nearly one-third (31%) of the total occurred in Brazil.
- Murders in Armenia, Belgium and Slovakia were reported for the first time.
- Almost half of the reported murders (46%) were shootings.
- Just over one quarter (28%) of the recorded murders took place on the street, and a further quarter (26%) in the victim’s own residence.
The data continues to indicate concerning trends when it comes to the intersections of misogyny, racism, xenophobia, and whorephobia. Most victims were Black and trans women of colour, and trans sex workers.
More information: names, countries, demographics, type of homicide/murder, sources:
- Table Oct 2022 – Sep 2023 (pdf)
- Namelist Oct 2022 – Sep 2023 (pdf)
- Namelist Oct 2022 – Sep 2023 (xlsx)
- Map
These numbers are just a small glimpse into the reality on the ground. Most cases worldwide continue to go unreported. Those that are reported receive very little attention.
The Trans Murder Monitoring data does not include all reported cases worldwide, as not all trans and gender diverse murder victims are identified as trans or gender diverse in reports of their death. These figures must therefore be understood in the specific social, political, economic, and historical contexts in which they occur.
The high number of murder reports from Latin America and the Caribbean can be considerably attributed to the existence of established monitoring systems in these regions. The majority of the data came from countries with strong networks of trans and LGBTI organisations that conduct the monitoring.
About Trans Murder Monitoring
The Trans Murder Monitoring (TMM) research project by TGEU (Transgender Europe) systematically monitors, collects, and analyses reports of homicides of trans and gender diverse people worldwide. Updates of the results are published here: https://transrespect.org/en/research/tmm
About Trans Day of Remembrance
On Trans Day of Remembrance (TDoR), 20 November, we remember and honour trans and gender diverse people whose lives were taken away through transphobic violence.
About TGEU
TGEU (Transgender Europe) is a trans-led, membership-based nonprofit for the rights and wellbeing of trans people in Europe and Central Asia. TGEU represents over 200 member organisations in 50 countries.
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This year’s data collection was possible thanks to Anna-Jayne Metcalfe, TGEU members, Rede Trans Brasil’s Observatório Trans, the Centro de Apoyo a las Identidades Trans, and the Asia Pacific Transgender Network.
Press contact: comms@tgeu.org