In Mexico in 2017 there were a reported 25,339 murders, the highest number on record, according to Reuters.
For comparison, there were 16,459 murders and non-negligent homicides in the United States in 2016 (latest data available).
Mexico's population of 127.5 million is less than half that of the United States at 323.1 million.
The Mexican Interior Ministry, according to Reuters, reports there were 20.5 murders per 100,000 residents last year. In the United States, according to the FBI, there were 5.4 murders and non-negligent homicides per 100,000 population in 2016.
The yearly total for murders in Mexico is up 25% over 2016, said Reuters, and it is the highest total on record since 1997, when the government started to count the murder victims.
Last week, Jan. 18, President Donald Trump tweeted, "We need the Wall to help store the massive inflow of drugs from Mexico, now rated the number one most dangerous country in the world."
Back on Aug. 27, the president tweeted, "With Mexico being one of the highest crime Nations in the world, we must have THE WALL."
Following Trump's Jan. 18 tweet, Mexico's Foreign Ministry sent an email to journalists stating, "Although Mexico has a significant problem of violence, it is openly false that Mexico is the most dangerous country in the world." The statement noted that El Salvador and Venezuela have higher homicide rates than Mexico.
