Statizoid

Intentional homicides in South Africa

South Africa: Intentional homicides was 43.72 per 100,000 people in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
43.72 per 100,000 people
Change on year
up 6.8%
World rank
7th
of 172 countries
All-time high
60.34 per 100,000 people
in 1995
All-time low
29.35 per 100,000 people
in 2011
Years of data
29
1994–2022

Intentional homicides in South Africa, 1994–2022

02040601994200820221994: 59 per 100,000 people1995: 60.3 per 100,000 people1996: 56.4 per 100,000 people1997: 53.6 per 100,000 people1998: 54.4 per 100,000 people1999: 48.4 per 100,000 people2000: 46.1 per 100,000 people2001: 45 per 100,000 people2002: 44.9 per 100,000 people2003: 40.9 per 100,000 people2004: 38.4 per 100,000 people2005: 37.4 per 100,000 people2006: 38.2 per 100,000 people2007: 36.4 per 100,000 people2008: 35.4 per 100,000 people2009: 32.4 per 100,000 people2010: 30.4 per 100,000 people2011: 29.3 per 100,000 people2012: 30.1 per 100,000 people2013: 31.1 per 100,000 people2014: 32 per 100,000 people2015: 32.9 per 100,000 people2016: 33.2 per 100,000 people2017: 35.3 per 100,000 people2018: 35.9 per 100,000 people2019: 35.8 per 100,000 people2020: 33 per 100,000 people2021: 40.9 per 100,000 people2022: 43.7 per 100,000 people

Source: UNODC Research - Data Portal – Intentional Homicide, UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Measured in per 100,000 people.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 43.72 per 100,000 people for intentional homicides in 2022.

The figure is up 6.8% on the previous year and up 45.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, intentional homicides in South Africa peaked at 60.34 per 100,000 people in 1995 and was at its lowest, 29.35 per 100,000 people, in 2011.

That places South Africa 7th out of 172 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 29 years of available data.

Intentional homicides in South Africa, year by year

Year per 100,000 people Change
1994 59.01 per 100,000 people —
1995 60.34 per 100,000 people +2.3%
1996 56.45 per 100,000 people -6.5%
1997 53.62 per 100,000 people -5.0%
1998 54.36 per 100,000 people +1.4%
1999 48.37 per 100,000 people -11.0%
2000 46.14 per 100,000 people -4.6%
2001 45 per 100,000 people -2.5%
2002 44.88 per 100,000 people -0.3%
2003 40.87 per 100,000 people -8.9%
2004 38.36 per 100,000 people -6.2%
2005 37.44 per 100,000 people -2.4%
2006 38.21 per 100,000 people +2.1%
2007 36.41 per 100,000 people -4.7%
2008 35.38 per 100,000 people -2.8%
2009 32.41 per 100,000 people -8.4%
2010 30.36 per 100,000 people -6.3%
2011 29.35 per 100,000 people -3.3%
2012 30.15 per 100,000 people +2.7%
2013 31.13 per 100,000 people +3.3%
2014 32.03 per 100,000 people +2.9%
2015 32.92 per 100,000 people +2.8%
2016 33.21 per 100,000 people +0.9%
2017 35.28 per 100,000 people +6.2%
2018 35.87 per 100,000 people +1.6%
2019 35.79 per 100,000 people -0.2%
2020 32.98 per 100,000 people -7.9%
2021 40.94 per 100,000 people +24.2%
2022 43.72 per 100,000 people +6.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 55.36 per 100,000 people 48.37 per 100,000 people 60.34 per 100,000 people 6
2000s 39.51 per 100,000 people 32.41 per 100,000 people 46.14 per 100,000 people 10
2010s 32.61 per 100,000 people 29.35 per 100,000 people 35.87 per 100,000 people 10
2020s 39.21 per 100,000 people 32.98 per 100,000 people 43.72 per 100,000 people 3

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 4 United States Virgin Islands 49.86 per 100,000 people compare
  2. 5 Jamaica 49.44 per 100,000 people compare
  3. 6 Ecuador 45.72 per 100,000 people compare
  4. 8 Haiti 41.15 per 100,000 people compare
  5. 9 Trinidad and Tobago 40.44 per 100,000 people compare
  6. 10 Saint Lucia 39.04 per 100,000 people compare

See the full ranking of 190 places →

More public sector data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is intentional homicides in South Africa?
Intentional homicides in South Africa was 43.72 per 100,000 people in 2022, according to UNODC Research - Data Portal – Intentional Homicide, UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
What is the highest intentional homicides recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 60.34 per 100,000 people in 1995.
What is the lowest intentional homicides recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 29.35 per 100,000 people in 2011.
How does South Africa rank for intentional homicides?
South Africa ranks 7th out of 172 countries with data for 2022.
Is intentional homicides rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 45.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from UNODC Research - Data Portal – Intentional Homicide, UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), published as part of Intentional homicides (per 100,000 people). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 29 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Intentional homicides in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNODC Research - Data Portal – Intentional Homicide, UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/intentional-homicides-per-100-000-people/south-africa/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/intentional-homicides-per-100-000-people/south-africa/">Intentional homicides in South Africa</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Intentional homicides (per 100,000 people)
Unit
per 100,000 people
Source
UNODC Research - Data Portal – Intentional Homicide, UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
190 places, 4,286 data points, 1990–2023
Last refreshed

An intentional homicide is defined as an unlawful death inflicted upon a person with the intent to cause death or serious injury.