6Paarl
Paarl, South Africa: crime rate and Safety score
Safety 6 out of 10 Average crime
6/10 in South Africa · 1/10 in the world
Compared with 1129 places in the same country (10 = lowest crime).
Weighted crime: 11,535 per 100,000 people (12 months to June 2026)
Residents: about 117,275, 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 | 5 | 4.3 | 34.6 |
| Sexual offences | |||
| Rape | 29 | 24.7 | 61.8 |
| Sexual assault | 13 | 11.1 | 11.6 |
| Attempted sexual offences | 1 | 0.9 | 4 |
| Other contact sexual offences | 3 | 2.6 | 1.2 |
| Violence | |||
| Attempted murder | 36 | 30.7 | 44.5 |
| Assault with intent to cause serious harm | 112 | 95.5 | 265.1 |
| Common assault | 285 | 243 | 291.2 |
| Kidnapping | 6 | 5.1 | 28.7 |
| Abduction of a minor | 0 | 0 | 0.2 |
| Robbery | |||
| Armed or aggravated robbery | 119 | 101.5 | 178.3 |
| Includes carjacking, house and business robbery and cash-in-transit heists. | |||
| Common robbery | 99 | 84.4 | 67.4 |
| Theft and burglary | |||
| Home burglary | 172 | 146.7 | 193.2 |
| Burglary of other premises | 216 | 184.2 | 66.4 |
| Livestock theft | 8 | 6.8 | 33.5 |
| Shoplifting | 175 | 149.2 | 59.8 |
| Vehicle theft | 22 | 18.8 | 45.2 |
| Theft from vehicles | 367 | 312.9 | 112.4 |
| Other theft | 1,006 | 857.8 | 354.3 |
| Drugs | |||
| Drug offences | 772 | 658.3 | 357.5 |
| Found through police action, so it rises with policing. | |||
| Damage and public order | |||
| Public violence | 0 | 0 | 1.6 |
| Arson | 4 | 3.4 | 4.1 |
| Malicious damage to property | 229 | 195.3 | 160.3 |
| Other | |||
| Culpable homicide | 18 | 15.3 | 15.2 |
| Unlawful killing without intent, mostly on the roads. | |||
| Driving under the influence | 62 | 52.9 | 133.3 |
| Found through police action, so it rises with policing. | |||
| Illegal firearms and ammunition | 9 | 7.7 | 24.2 |
| Sexual offences found by police action | 2 | 1.7 | 20.3 |
| Mainly sex work offences, not attacks on a person. | |||
| Child neglect and ill-treatment | 0 | 0 | 3.6 |
| Crimen injuria (serious insult) | 63 | 53.7 | 40.7 |
| Fraud and commercial crime | 111 | 94.6 | 228.2 |
Source: SAPS, updated 29 October 2026.
Recorded crime by type (12 months to June 2026)
| Homicide | 5 |
|---|---|
| Sexual offences | 46 |
| Violence | 439 |
| Robbery | 218 |
| Theft and burglary | 1,966 |
| Drugs | 772 |
| Damage and public order | 233 |
| Other | 265 |
Questions about crime in Paarl
- Is Paarl safe?
- Paarl: Safety 6 out of 10 (Average crime). Compared with 1129 places in the same country (10 = lowest crime).
- What is the crime rate in Paarl?
- Paarl: Weighted crime: 11,535 per 100,000 people (12 months to June 2026).
- How many murders are there in Paarl?
- Recorded homicides in Paarl (12 months to June 2026): 5.
