Brazil vs South Africa: Homicides (UN, World)
Brazil
40,698 homicides
in 2023
South Africa
27,272 homicides
in 2022
Brazil rank
1st
South Africa rank
4th
Homicides (UN, World) over time
- Brazil
- South Africa
How they compare
Brazil currently reports 40,698 homicides against 27,272 homicides in South Africa, a difference of 13,426 homicides.
That makes Brazil's figure about 1.5 times South Africa's.
Across all 29 years both countries report, Brazil has been ahead every year.
Brazil ranks 1st and South Africa ranks 4th of 179 countries.
Brazil has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Brazil | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 38,019 homicides | 25,088 homicides | 12,931 homicides | Brazil |
| 2000s | 48,858 homicides | 19,422 homicides | 29,437 homicides | Brazil |
| 2010s | 56,072 homicides | 18,286 homicides | 37,786 homicides | Brazil |
| 2020s | 43,572 homicides | 24,142 homicides | 19,430 homicides | Brazil |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher homicides, Brazil or South Africa?
- Brazil, at 40,698 homicides against 27,272 homicides in South Africa as of 2023.
- What is the difference in homicides between Brazil and South Africa?
- 13,426 homicides, with Brazil ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Brazil and South Africa?
- 29 years are reported by both, from 1994 to 2022.
- How do Brazil and South Africa rank globally for homicides?
- Brazil ranks 1st and South Africa ranks 4th 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 Homicides. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Number of intentional homicides.