In Jordan, 1274 cases of suspected murder and attempted murder were recorded from 1976-85. Males accounted for 95 per cent for murder and 98 per cent for attempted murder. Males were victimized twice as often as females in the crime of murder and five times as often in the crime of attempted murder. The commonest age group of offenders and their victims was 18-27 years. Though the annual homicide rate was found to be 1.8 per 100 000 population, mentally abnormal offenders accounted for only 2.9 per cent of the total offenders group. Possible reasons for the higher homicide rate and lower percentage of abnormal offenders are discussed.