- South Africa and Nigeria have the highest crime rates in Africa and 5th and 11th globally, respectively.
- Crime incidents in Africa are widely attributed to poverty, inequality, unemployment, ethnicity, and terrorism.
- Women are the most affected by crimes in Africa.
- The list of crime index by country in Africa is courtesy of NUMBEO.
Crime has been part of the deeper societies for long and is even far-fetched in the developed world. Crimes can be attributed to a complex interplay of historical, economic, and social factors that differs from country to country.
Some of the factors that have been linked to crimes in almost every society are youth unemployment, poverty and inequality, organized gang violence, and corruption within the law enforcement institutions.
Much of the high crime rates in Africa can be attributed to the rising unemployment rate among the educated youths. Africa also has one of the highest inequality and poverty rates, swirled by the endemic corruption in governments.
Some of the frequently experienced crimes in Africa are housebreaking and burglary, theft of personal property, home robberies, street robberies, assault, and motor vehicle hijacking. Much of these crimes occur in populous places like city centers, urban neighborhoods, or crowded market places with improper security in place.
South Africa has the Highest Crime Rate in Africa
The latest Crime Index by NUMBEO, a statistical company that provides biannual insights into various aspects spanning social and economic issues across many countries in the world, shows that South Africa has the highest crime rates in Africa and 5th, after Afghanistan, in the world.
Analytical Overview of the Crime Rate Index by Country in Africa (2024/2025)
South Africa has a crime index of 74.7, down from 74.8 in the mid-year of 2024.
South Africa’s concerning crime rates are largely attributed to the apartheid legacy, which created deep societal divisions and a lack of trust in law enforcement agencies. The apartheid system left bizarre trails of imbalanced application of the rule of law, leading to a general disregard for legal institutions.
Approximately 1.5 million incidents of housebreaking occoured in FY 2023/2024, affecting about 1.1 million households in South Africa. This represents 5.9% of all the households. Similarly, personal property theft incidences were around 1,4 million, affecting 1.3 million individuals aged 16 and above, according to Statistics South Africa (SSA).
Home and street robberies were also high during the financial year. An estimated 263,000 home robberies occurred, affecting about 209,000 households. Similarly, around 497,00 street robbery incidences affected approximately 443,000 people.
SSA also reported about 506,000 incidents of assault, with over 295,000 victims. Motor vehicle hijacking also remains a significant concern in South Africa. The provinces most affected by most crimes are Gauteng, Western Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal.
Nigeria has the second highest crime rate in Africa and 11th in the world after Peru. Nigeria’s first half of 2025 crime index is at 67.1, up from 66.7 in the 2nd half of 2024, according to the report.
Nigeria’s high crime rates are attributed to ethnic and religious conflicts, terrorism and insurgency (Boko Haram and other militia groups), armed banditry, poverty and inequality, and weak governance.
Sates such as Borno, Lagos, Kaduna, Zamfara Plateu, and Rivers are particularly affected by various forms of violence and criminal activity.
Angola is the 3rd most affected by crimes in Africa and 13th worldwide after Guyana. Angola has a crime index of 66.3, up from 66.1 in 2024, when it was ranked 14th, after Yemen.
A notable improvement was recorded as Libya took the position of Kenya as the 10th most affected by crime rates at the beginning of 2025, with a crime index of 56.4, up from 55.6 in 2024. Kenya is 11th in Africa and 37th globally, with a crime index of 56.0 in 2025, up from 55.9 in 2024.
