South Africa vs United States: Homicides (UN, World)
South Africa
27,272 homicides
in 2022
United States
19,796 homicides
in 2023
South Africa rank
4th
United States rank
5th
Homicides (UN, World) over time
- South Africa
- United States
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 27,272 homicides against 19,796 homicides in United States, a difference of 7,476 homicides.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.4 times United States's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 26 shared years of data; in 1994 it was South Africa ahead.
South Africa ranks 4th and United States ranks 5th of 179 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 25,088 homicides | 19,214 homicides | 5,875 homicides | South Africa |
| 2000s | 19,582 homicides | 16,736 homicides | 2,846 homicides | South Africa |
| 2010s | 18,286 homicides | 15,636 homicides | 2,650 homicides | South Africa |
| 2020s | 24,142 homicides | 22,292 homicides | 1,850 homicides | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher homicides, South Africa or United States?
- South Africa, at 27,272 homicides against 19,796 homicides in United States as of 2022.
- What is the difference in homicides between South Africa and United States?
- 7,476 homicides, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and United States?
- 26 years are reported by both, from 1994 to 2022.
- How do South Africa and United States rank globally for homicides?
- South Africa ranks 4th and United States ranks 5th of 179 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UN, World Population Prospects (2024); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2025) β 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.