Business Insider Africa has released a ranking of the top 10 African countries with the highest crime index at the start of 2026, based on data from Numbeo.
Crime across the continent ranges from violent and organised crime to terrorism, human trafficking, and gender-based violence, with severity differing by region due to governance, socio-economic conditions, and political stability.
List of African countries with the highest crime index at the start of 2026:
- South Africa – 74.5
- Democratic Republic of the Congo – 66.7
- Nigeria – 66.2
- Cameroon – 65.7
- Angola – 65.5
- Namibia – 63.8
- Somalia – 62.5
- Mozambique – 61.0
- Zimbabwe – 60.4
- Libya – 55.8