List of serial killers by number of victims

A serial killer is a person who murders three or more people, in two or more separate events over a period of time, for primarily psychological reasons. There are gaps of time between the killings, which may range from a few hours to many years. This list shows serial killers from the 20th century to present day by number of victims. In many cases, the exact number of victims assigned to a serial killer is not known, and even if that person is convicted of a few, there can be the possibility that he/she killed many more.

The complex nature of serial killers, their crimes, discrepancies caused by geographic location and/or time, and the investigations related to these persons results in difficulties in organization and ranking. To address this, multiple categories have been provided in order to more accurately describe the nature of certain serial murders. This is not a reflection of an individual's overall rank which may or may not vary depending on personal opinion concerning the nature and circumstances of their crimes. The fourth column in the table states the number of victims definitely assigned to that particular serial killer, and thus the table is in order of that figure. The fifth column states the number of possible victims the killer could have murdered. Some of these crimes are unsolved, but were included because they are the work of a serial killer, despite nobody being caught.

This list does not necessarily include war criminals or members of democidal governments, such as Adolf Hitler, Hideki Tojo, Joseph Stalin, or Pol Pot.

This list is a compilation of modern serial killers currently with the highest verifiable murder count, who are non-medical and working alone.

This part of the list contains all serial killers with 15 to 30 proven victims who acted alone and were neither medical professionals nor contract killers.

This part of the list contains all serial killers with less than 15 proven victims who acted alone and were neither medical professionals nor contract killers.

This part of the list contains all serial killers with fewer than five proven victims who acted alone and were neither medical professionals nor contract killers.

* Proven victims being victims the serial killer was tried for, explained by the killer in a detailed confession, or victims most scholars of the subject agree upon.

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