8Bethlehem
Bethlehem, South Africa: crime rate and Safety score
Safety 8 out of 10 Low crime
8/10 in South Africa · 1/10 in the world
Compared with 1129 places in the same country (10 = lowest crime).
Weighted crime: 7,590 per 100,000 people (12 months to June 2026)
Residents: about 87,091, a WorldPop 2025 modelled estimate summed within the police precinct, not a census count.
Crime by type, as recorded by SAPS (12 months to June 2026)
| Type | Count | Per 100,000 a year | All places this source covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homicide | |||
| Murder | 9 | 10.3 | 34.6 |
| Sexual offences | |||
| Rape | 22 | 25.3 | 61.8 |
| Sexual assault | 4 | 4.6 | 11.6 |
| Attempted sexual offences | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Other contact sexual offences | 0 | 0 | 1.2 |
| Violence | |||
| Attempted murder | 4 | 4.6 | 44.5 |
| Assault with intent to cause serious harm | 90 | 103.3 | 265.1 |
| Common assault | 117 | 134.3 | 291.2 |
| Kidnapping | 5 | 5.7 | 28.7 |
| Abduction of a minor | 0 | 0 | 0.2 |
| Robbery | |||
| Armed or aggravated robbery | 36 | 41.3 | 178.3 |
| Includes carjacking, house and business robbery and cash-in-transit heists. | |||
| Common robbery | 19 | 21.8 | 67.4 |
| Theft and burglary | |||
| Home burglary | 92 | 105.6 | 193.2 |
| Burglary of other premises | 72 | 82.7 | 66.4 |
| Livestock theft | 25 | 28.7 | 33.5 |
| Shoplifting | 57 | 65.4 | 59.8 |
| Vehicle theft | 18 | 20.7 | 45.2 |
| Theft from vehicles | 110 | 126.3 | 112.4 |
| Other theft | 211 | 242.3 | 354.3 |
| Drugs | |||
| Drug offences | 206 | 236.5 | 357.5 |
| Found through police action, so it rises with policing. | |||
| Damage and public order | |||
| Public violence | 0 | 0 | 1.6 |
| Arson | 0 | 0 | 4.1 |
| Malicious damage to property | 75 | 86.1 | 160.3 |
| Other | |||
| Culpable homicide | 11 | 12.6 | 15.2 |
| Unlawful killing without intent, mostly on the roads. | |||
| Driving under the influence | 149 | 171.1 | 133.3 |
| Found through police action, so it rises with policing. | |||
| Illegal firearms and ammunition | 10 | 11.5 | 24.2 |
| Sexual offences found by police action | 443 | 508.7 | 20.3 |
| Mainly sex work offences, not attacks on a person. | |||
| Child neglect and ill-treatment | 0 | 0 | 3.6 |
| Crimen injuria (serious insult) | 34 | 39 | 40.7 |
| Fraud and commercial crime | 286 | 328.4 | 228.2 |
Source: SAPS, updated 29 October 2026.
Recorded crime by type (12 months to June 2026)
| Homicide | 9 |
|---|---|
| Sexual offences | 26 |
| Violence | 216 |
| Robbery | 55 |
| Theft and burglary | 585 |
| Drugs | 206 |
| Damage and public order | 75 |
| Other | 933 |
Questions about crime in Bethlehem
- Is Bethlehem safe?
- Bethlehem: Safety 8 out of 10 (Low crime). Compared with 1129 places in the same country (10 = lowest crime).
- What is the crime rate in Bethlehem?
- Bethlehem: Weighted crime: 7,590 per 100,000 people (12 months to June 2026).
- How many murders are there in Bethlehem?
- Recorded homicides in Bethlehem (12 months to June 2026): 9.
