Jamaica vs South Africa: Homicide rate
Jamaica
49.44 homicides per 100,000 population
in 2023
South Africa
43.72 homicides per 100,000 population
in 2022
Jamaica rank
5th
South Africa rank
7th
Homicide rate over time
- Jamaica
- South Africa
How they compare
Jamaica currently reports 49.44 homicides per 100,000 population against 43.72 homicides per 100,000 population in South Africa, a difference of 5.72 homicides per 100,000 population.
That makes Jamaica's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 29 shared years of data; in 1994 it was South Africa ahead.
Jamaica ranks 5th and South Africa ranks 7th of 179 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Jamaica averaged higher in 3 and South Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Jamaica | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 33.82 homicides per 100,000 population | 55.36 homicides per 100,000 population | 21.53 homicides per 100,000 population | South Africa |
| 2000s | 49.99 homicides per 100,000 population | 39.51 homicides per 100,000 population | 10.48 homicides per 100,000 population | Jamaica |
| 2010s | 45.56 homicides per 100,000 population | 32.61 homicides per 100,000 population | 12.95 homicides per 100,000 population | Jamaica |
| 2020s | 50.72 homicides per 100,000 population | 39.21 homicides per 100,000 population | 11.5 homicides per 100,000 population | Jamaica |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher homicide rate, Jamaica or South Africa?
- Jamaica, at 49.44 homicides per 100,000 population against 43.72 homicides per 100,000 population in South Africa as of 2023.
- What is the difference in homicide rate between Jamaica and South Africa?
- 5.72 homicides per 100,000 population, with Jamaica ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Jamaica and South Africa?
- 29 years are reported by both, from 1994 to 2022.
- How do Jamaica and South Africa rank globally for homicide rate?
- Jamaica ranks 5th and South Africa ranks 7th of 179 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UN, World Population Prospects (2024); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Homicide rate. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Intentional homicide rate per 100,000 population.