World - Mexico logged a record high of 35,588 killings in 2019, official statistics showed on Tuesday.
The number is the highest since comparable statistics began to be issued more than two decades ago.
The number of killings grew by 2.7 per cent compared with the previous year, while growth was 17 per cent in 2018.
Most of the killings are attributed to criminal gangs. About 60,000 people remain missing in the country.
Previous governments tried to combat the high crime rate with security crackdowns.
Leftist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who took office in December, created a National Guard, but has also pledged social measures such as employment opportunities for young people.