Homicides (World Health) in South Africa
South Africa: Homicides (World Health) was 19,488 deaths in 2021. ▬ Flat
Latest (2021)
19,488 deaths
Change on year
down 3.5%
World rank
4th
of 194 countries
All-time high
22,413 deaths
in 2017
All-time low
18,864 deaths
in 2011
Years of data
22
2000–2021
Homicides in South Africa, 2000–2021
Source: World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
In 2021, homicides in South Africa stood at 19,488 deaths.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.5% on the previous year and up 3.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicides in South Africa peaked at 22,413 deaths in 2017 and was at its lowest, 18,864 deaths, in 2011.
That places South Africa 4th out of 194 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.
Homicides (World Health) in South Africa, year by year
| Year | deaths | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 20,635 deaths | — |
| 2001 | 20,959 deaths | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 22,240 deaths | +6.1% |
| 2003 | 20,948 deaths | -5.8% |
| 2004 | 20,937 deaths | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 20,395 deaths | -2.6% |
| 2006 | 20,184 deaths | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 19,632 deaths | -2.7% |
| 2008 | 19,977 deaths | +1.8% |
| 2009 | 19,285 deaths | -3.5% |
| 2010 | 19,369 deaths | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 18,864 deaths | -2.6% |
| 2012 | 19,147 deaths | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 19,676 deaths | +2.8% |
| 2014 | 20,343 deaths | +3.4% |
| 2015 | 21,073 deaths | +3.6% |
| 2016 | 21,688 deaths | +2.9% |
| 2017 | 22,413 deaths | +3.3% |
| 2018 | 20,991 deaths | -6.3% |
| 2019 | 20,983 deaths | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 20,194 deaths | -3.8% |
| 2021 | 19,488 deaths | -3.5% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 19,488 deaths is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 237.51 deaths, 82.0× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 19,488 deaths is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 971.62 deaths, 20.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 20,519 deaths | 19,285 deaths | 22,240 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 20,455 deaths | 18,864 deaths | 22,413 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 19,841 deaths | 19,488 deaths | 20,194 deaths | 2 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
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 homicides in South Africa?
- Homicides in South Africa was 19,488 deaths in 2021, according to World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest homicides recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 22,413 deaths in 2017.
- What is the lowest homicides recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 18,864 deaths in 2011.
- How does South Africa rank for homicides?
- South Africa ranks 4th out of 194 countries with data for 2021.
- Is homicides rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Homicides. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 22 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimated number of deaths from interpersonal violence in both sexes.