Homicide rate by sex of the victim in South Africa
South Africa: Homicide rate by sex of the victim was 73.37 homicides per 100,000 population in 2022. ▲ Rising
Homicide rate by sex of the victim in South Africa, 2006–2022
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in homicides per 100,000 population.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 73.37 homicides per 100,000 population for homicide rate by sex of the victim in 2022. That is the highest value across all 12 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.2% on the previous year and up 42.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicide rate by sex of the victim in South Africa peaked at 73.37 homicides per 100,000 population in 2022 and was at its lowest, 51.53 homicides per 100,000 population, in 2011.
That places South Africa 8th out of 138 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.
Homicide rate by sex of the victim in South Africa, year by year
| Year | homicides per 100,000 population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 68.44 homicides per 100,000 population | — |
| 2007 | 64.91 homicides per 100,000 population | -5.2% |
| 2008 | 63.34 homicides per 100,000 population | -2.4% |
| 2009 | 57.01 homicides per 100,000 population | -10.0% |
| 2010 | 52.22 homicides per 100,000 population | -8.4% |
| 2011 | 51.53 homicides per 100,000 population | -1.3% |
| 2016 | 58.95 homicides per 100,000 population | +14.4% |
| 2017 | 62.44 homicides per 100,000 population | +5.9% |
| 2018 | 64.26 homicides per 100,000 population | +2.9% |
| 2019 | 64.48 homicides per 100,000 population | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 69.72 homicides per 100,000 population | +8.1% |
| 2022 | 73.37 homicides per 100,000 population | +5.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 63.42 homicides per 100,000 population | 57.01 homicides per 100,000 population | 68.44 homicides per 100,000 population | 4 |
| 2010s | 58.98 homicides per 100,000 population | 51.53 homicides per 100,000 population | 64.48 homicides per 100,000 population | 6 |
| 2020s | 71.55 homicides per 100,000 population | 69.72 homicides per 100,000 population | 73.37 homicides per 100,000 population | 2 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 5 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 90.07 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 6 Ecuador 84.51 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 7 Haiti 74.22 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 9 Saint Lucia 68.85 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 10 Bahamas 62.03 homicides per 100,000 population compare
- 11 Honduras 54.78 homicides per 100,000 population compare
More social development data for South Africa
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 55,177 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1,319 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 1,319 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0009 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is homicide rate by sex of the victim in South Africa?
- Homicide rate by sex of the victim in South Africa was 73.37 homicides per 100,000 population in 2022, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest homicide rate by sex of the victim recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 73.37 homicides per 100,000 population in 2022.
- What is the lowest homicide rate by sex of the victim recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 51.53 homicides per 100,000 population in 2011.
- How does South Africa rank for homicide rate by sex of the victim?
- South Africa ranks 8th out of 138 countries with data for 2022.
- Is homicide rate by sex of the victim rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 42.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures 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 part of Homicide rate by sex of the victim. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Intentional homicide rate per 100,000 populationof male victims.