1Butterworth
Butterworth, South Africa: crime rate and Safety score
Safety 1 out of 10 High crime
1/10 in South Africa · 1/10 in the world
Compared with 1129 places in the same country (10 = lowest crime).
Weighted crime: 34,673 per 100,000 people (12 months to June 2026)
Residents: about 46,140, 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 | 41 | 88.9 | 34.6 |
| Sexual offences | |||
| Rape | 87 | 188.6 | 61.8 |
| Sexual assault | 8 | 17.3 | 11.6 |
| Attempted sexual offences | 12 | 26 | 4 |
| Other contact sexual offences | 1 | 2.2 | 1.2 |
| Violence | |||
| Attempted murder | 29 | 62.9 | 44.5 |
| Assault with intent to cause serious harm | 330 | 715.2 | 265.1 |
| Common assault | 266 | 576.5 | 291.2 |
| Kidnapping | 13 | 28.2 | 28.7 |
| Abduction of a minor | 0 | 0 | 0.2 |
| Robbery | |||
| Armed or aggravated robbery | 96 | 208.1 | 178.3 |
| Includes carjacking, house and business robbery and cash-in-transit heists. | |||
| Common robbery | 61 | 132.2 | 67.4 |
| Theft and burglary | |||
| Home burglary | 151 | 327.3 | 193.2 |
| Burglary of other premises | 75 | 162.5 | 66.4 |
| Livestock theft | 34 | 73.7 | 33.5 |
| Shoplifting | 37 | 80.2 | 59.8 |
| Vehicle theft | 10 | 21.7 | 45.2 |
| Theft from vehicles | 62 | 134.4 | 112.4 |
| Other theft | 296 | 641.5 | 354.3 |
| Drugs | |||
| Drug offences | 107 | 231.9 | 357.5 |
| Found through police action, so it rises with policing. | |||
| Damage and public order | |||
| Public violence | 2 | 4.3 | 1.6 |
| Arson | 10 | 21.7 | 4.1 |
| Malicious damage to property | 187 | 405.3 | 160.3 |
| Other | |||
| Culpable homicide | 12 | 26 | 15.2 |
| Unlawful killing without intent, mostly on the roads. | |||
| Driving under the influence | 102 | 221.1 | 133.3 |
| Found through police action, so it rises with policing. | |||
| Illegal firearms and ammunition | 14 | 30.3 | 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 | 6 | 13 | 3.6 |
| Crimen injuria (serious insult) | 86 | 186.4 | 40.7 |
| Fraud and commercial crime | 139 | 301.3 | 228.2 |
Source: SAPS, updated 29 October 2026.
Recorded crime by type (12 months to June 2026)
| Homicide | 41 |
|---|---|
| Sexual offences | 108 |
| Violence | 638 |
| Robbery | 157 |
| Theft and burglary | 665 |
| Drugs | 107 |
| Damage and public order | 199 |
| Other | 359 |
Questions about crime in Butterworth
- Is Butterworth safe?
- Butterworth: Safety 1 out of 10 (High crime). Compared with 1129 places in the same country (10 = lowest crime).
- What is the crime rate in Butterworth?
- Butterworth: Weighted crime: 34,673 per 100,000 people (12 months to June 2026).
- How many murders are there in Butterworth?
- Recorded homicides in Butterworth (12 months to June 2026): 41.
