2Worcester
Worcester, South Africa: crime rate and Safety score
Safety 2 out of 10 High crime
2/10 in South Africa · 1/10 in the world
Compared with 1129 places in the same country (10 = lowest crime).
Weighted crime: 28,578 per 100,000 people (12 months to June 2026)
Residents: about 145,968, 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 | 49 | 33.6 | 34.6 |
| Sexual offences | |||
| Rape | 95 | 65.1 | 61.8 |
| Sexual assault | 44 | 30.1 | 11.6 |
| Attempted sexual offences | 7 | 4.8 | 4 |
| Other contact sexual offences | 3 | 2.1 | 1.2 |
| Violence | |||
| Attempted murder | 226 | 154.8 | 44.5 |
| Assault with intent to cause serious harm | 900 | 616.6 | 265.1 |
| Common assault | 959 | 657 | 291.2 |
| Kidnapping | 21 | 14.4 | 28.7 |
| Abduction of a minor | 1 | 0.7 | 0.2 |
| Robbery | |||
| Armed or aggravated robbery | 210 | 143.9 | 178.3 |
| Includes carjacking, house and business robbery and cash-in-transit heists. | |||
| Common robbery | 154 | 105.5 | 67.4 |
| Theft and burglary | |||
| Home burglary | 341 | 233.6 | 193.2 |
| Burglary of other premises | 169 | 115.8 | 66.4 |
| Livestock theft | 6 | 4.1 | 33.5 |
| Shoplifting | 100 | 68.5 | 59.8 |
| Vehicle theft | 38 | 26 | 45.2 |
| Theft from vehicles | 366 | 250.7 | 112.4 |
| Other theft | 914 | 626.2 | 354.3 |
| Drugs | |||
| Drug offences | 2,449 | 1,677.8 | 357.5 |
| Found through police action, so it rises with policing. | |||
| Damage and public order | |||
| Public violence | 15 | 10.3 | 1.6 |
| Arson | 13 | 8.9 | 4.1 |
| Malicious damage to property | 604 | 413.8 | 160.3 |
| Other | |||
| Culpable homicide | 23 | 15.8 | 15.2 |
| Unlawful killing without intent, mostly on the roads. | |||
| Driving under the influence | 78 | 53.4 | 133.3 |
| Found through police action, so it rises with policing. | |||
| Illegal firearms and ammunition | 41 | 28.1 | 24.2 |
| Sexual offences found by police action | 0 | 0 | 20.3 |
| Mainly sex work offences, not attacks on a person. | |||
| Child neglect and ill-treatment | 20 | 13.7 | 3.6 |
| Crimen injuria (serious insult) | 231 | 158.3 | 40.7 |
| Fraud and commercial crime | 62 | 42.5 | 228.2 |
Source: SAPS, updated 29 October 2026.
Recorded crime by type (12 months to June 2026)
| Homicide | 49 |
|---|---|
| Sexual offences | 149 |
| Violence | 2,107 |
| Robbery | 364 |
| Theft and burglary | 1,934 |
| Drugs | 2,449 |
| Damage and public order | 632 |
| Other | 455 |
Questions about crime in Worcester
- Is Worcester safe?
- Worcester: Safety 2 out of 10 (High crime). Compared with 1129 places in the same country (10 = lowest crime).
- What is the crime rate in Worcester?
- Worcester: Weighted crime: 28,578 per 100,000 people (12 months to June 2026).
- How many murders are there in Worcester?
- Recorded homicides in Worcester (12 months to June 2026): 49.
