Brazil continues to hold the somber title of the nation with the highest number of murders of transgender people globally. According to the latest dossier released by the National Association of Transvestites and Transgender People (ANTRA), the country recorded 80 murders in 2025.
While this figure represents a significant 34% decrease from the 122 murders documented in 2024, it marks the 18th consecutive year that Brazil has led this tragic global ranking. According to ANTRA’s President, Bruna Benevides, the numbers reflect a systemic normalization of oppression.
Editorial Perspectives
“These are not isolated incidents,” Benevides stated. “They reveal a population exposed to extreme violence from an early age—lives marked by social exclusion, racism, and institutional neglect.”
Regional Lethality and Demographics
The 2025 data shows that violence is heavily concentrated in specific regions:
- Northeast: 38 murders (The most lethal region).
- Southeast: 17 murders.
- Central-West: 12 murders.
- North: 7 murders.
- South: 6 murders.
At the state level, Ceará and Minas Gerais led the ranking in 2025 with eight murders each. However, a longitudinal analysis from 2017 to 2025 identifies São Paulo as the overall most lethal state, with 155 deaths in that period. The typical profile of the victim remains unchanged: young trans women, predominantly between the ages of 18 and 35, with Black and Pardo (mixed-race) individuals being disproportionately affected.
The Paradox of Declining Numbers
Despite the drop in confirmed murders, ANTRA warns that the scenario has not actually improved. The dossier points to a surge in attempted homicides, suggesting that the intent to kill remains high, even if the lethality rate fluctuated.
The association attributes the persistent violence to several critical factors:
- Underreporting: Many crimes are never officially recorded as transborder violence.
- Institutional Distrust: A lack of faith in security and justice systems prevents victims from seeking help.
- Policy Absence: A lack of specific public policies tailored to combat transphobia.
A Call for State Action
Benevides described the report as an “embarrassment to the state,” calling for decision-makers to move beyond data collection and into concrete action. The association demands that existing protection policies for women be fully accessible to transgender women and that impunity be addressed through more rigorous judicial oversight.
The 2025 findings are mirrored by a separate study from the Gay Group of Bahia (GGB), which documented 257 violent deaths across the entire LGBT+ spectrum in Brazil last year. This translates to one violent death every 34 hours, maintaining Brazil’s position above nations like Mexico (40 deaths) and the U.S. (10 deaths) in terms of LGBT+ lethality.
Informations: Agência Brasil
