Honor killings have been reported in Bangladesh, Brazil, Afghanistan, Egypt, India, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan, Sweden, Turkey, Yemen and the United Kingdom. Honor killings are common in countries with a predominantly Muslim population, but many Muslim leaders and scholars condemn the practice and deny it is based on religious doctrine. Honour killing is actually a pre-Islamic, tribal custom that stems from the importance of patriarchal and patrilineal society to strictly control family power structures. Because these crimes are often not reported, it is difficult to determine the actual number of victims of honour crimes. The United Nations Population Fund estimates that as many as 5000 women are killed each year.

Current status of honor killing: Many people find the practice of honor killing unacceptable, but the practice still continues. In some countries such as Jordan, Algeria, Morocco and Iran, "honour killings" are legally sanctioned and the defense of family honor is considered a mitigating circumstance.