South Africa recorded fewer murders in the fourth quarter of the 2025/26 financial year, with SAPS figures showing a 9.5% drop between January and March 2026.
According to the latest SAPS crime statistics, 5,181 murders were recorded during the three-month period, down from 5,727 in the same period last year. That means 546 fewer murder cases were reported.
The national murder ratio also dropped to 8.2 murders per 100,000 people. The Eastern Cape recorded the highest murder ratio at 14.3, followed by the Western Cape at 12.8 and KwaZulu-Natal at 8.8.
Violent Crimes Still Hit Hard
The broader picture shows a decline in several violent crime categories, but the numbers remain heavy for communities.
Contact crimes, which include murder, attempted murder, assault, sexual offences and robbery, dropped by 4.6%. SAPS recorded 154,267 contact crimes, compared to 161,672 in the same quarter last year.
Sexual offences decreased by 6.4%, from 13,452 to 12,590 cases. Rape cases dropped by 8.5%, with 9,782 cases recorded between January and March 2026.
Attempted murder showed a smaller decline of 1%, while assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm dropped by 0.5%.
Robbery and Carjacking Fall Sharply
There was also a major drop in robbery-related crimes.
Robbery with aggravating circumstances fell by 15.6%, while carjacking dropped by 20.4%. Robberies at residential premises decreased by 18.3%, while robberies at non-residential premises fell by 22%.
SAPS figures also show that TRIO crimes, which include carjacking and robberies at homes and businesses, dropped by 19.9%.
Property-related crimes were also down by 8.7%, with burglary at residential premises, vehicle theft, theft from vehicles and stock theft all showing decreases.
Some Crime Categories Increased
Not all categories moved in the right direction.
Commercial crime increased by 4%, rising from 35,374 to 36,797 cases.
Crimes detected through police action also rose by 13%. Drug-related crimes increased by 10.8%, while driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs jumped by 29.3%.
SAPS says the statistics are based on crimes reported at police stations across the country, including satellite stations and ports of entry. The official SAPS crime statistics page lists the fourth quarter report for the 2025/26 financial year.
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