Introduction:

In spite of the actions taken to face the high level of deaths by violent causes in the Americas, it is notable its increase, especially in young people.

Objective:

To compare the behaviour of mortality by violent causes in the population aging 10 to 29 years in Argentina and Uruguay, in the trienniums 1997-1999 and 2011-2013.

Methods:

Quantitative, exploratory, descriptive and comparative research. There were calculated and analyzed specific mortality rates based in the information provided by World Health Organization and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

Results:

Mortality by violent causes increased in both countries reaching a higher level in Uruguay. This increase was higher in older males. The most affected populations varied according to the following causes: all violent causes (men from 15 to 29 years old), traffic accidents (Uruguayan women > 15 years old), associated to murders (women from 25 to 29 years old), and suicides (all the population under study, with higher numbers in Uruguay).

Conclusions:

Although Uruguay has bigger challenges to face for reducing the level of violent deaths, the results show the need that have both countries, Argentina and Uruguay, of paying attention to the characteristics of each population group. Thus, it must be redoubled the efforts to decrease psychoactive substances (legal and illegal ones) consumption, to guarantee the compliance of some specific traffic regulations and to strengthen values in the individuals that reinforce their self-esteem and respect to others.

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