Russia vs South Africa: Homicides (WHO Mortality)
Russia
7,302 deaths
in 2019
South Africa
5,668 deaths
in 2020
Russia rank
7th
South Africa rank
8th
Homicides (WHO Mortality) over time
- Russia
- South Africa
How they compare
Russia currently reports 7,302 deaths against 5,668 deaths in South Africa, a difference of 1,634 deaths.
That makes Russia's figure about 1.3 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 24 shared years of data; in 1996 it was Russia ahead.
Russia ranks 7th and South Africa ranks 8th of 113 countries.
Russia has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Russia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 36,464 deaths | 1,464 deaths | 35,000 deaths | Russia |
| 2000s | 34,425 deaths | 4,139 deaths | 30,286 deaths | Russia |
| 2010s | 12,539 deaths | 6,370 deaths | 6,169 deaths | Russia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher homicides, Russia or South Africa?
- Russia, at 7,302 deaths against 5,668 deaths in South Africa as of 2019.
- What is the difference in homicides between Russia and South Africa?
- 1,634 deaths, with Russia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Russia and South Africa?
- 24 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2019.
- How do Russia and South Africa rank globally for homicides?
- Russia ranks 7th and South Africa ranks 8th of 113 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- WHO Mortality Database (2026) 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
Reported deaths from homicide, based on the underlying cause listed on death certificates.