Harare — Police recorded crime in Zimbabwe jumped sharply in the fourth quarter of 2025, with the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT) reporting 426,946 offences between October and December, a 12.1 percent rise from the 380,727 recorded in the third quarter.
The increase pushed the national crime rate to 2,812.7 crimes per 100,000 people, up from 2,508.3 in the previous quarter, according to the ZIMSTAT 2025 Fourth Quarter Crime Statistics Report released this week.
The spike was driven largely by a surge in offences classified as “acts against public safety and state security,” which accounted for 280,667 incidents and a rate of 1,849.1 per 100,000 — the single largest contributor to the national figure.
“This quarter’s figures are concerning,” ZIMSTAT Director‑General Tafadzwa Bandama said in the agency’s preface.
“Crime statistics reveal trends in criminal activities, enabling policymakers, law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders to develop evidence‑based strategic interventions to curb the rise in crime rates.”
Bandama also warned that recorded figures understate the true level of criminality because they exclude offences not reported to police.
Harare remained the most exposed, registering a provincial crime rate of 6,195.3 per 100,000 — more than double the national average and accounting for 150,371 of the quarter’s offences. Bulawayo, Masvingo and Matabeleland South also posted rates above the national mean, underscoring a concentration of recorded crime in several urban and peri‑urban policing provinces.
The report shows that property crimes and assaults remain prevalent.
Theft was the single most reported offence with 37,680 cases (248.2 per 100,000), while assaults and threats totaled 29,975 (197.5 per 100,000).
Burglary cases numbered 8,348 and drug‑related offences reached 11,926.
Sexual violence incidents were recorded at 3,919 for the quarter.
ZIMSTAT data indicate that 367,557 persons were charged during the quarter, producing an overall charge rate of 2,421.5 per 100,000 people up from 2,136.4 the previous quarter.
Men accounted for 88 percent of those charged, the male charge rate was 4,438.7 per 100,000, nearly eight times that of females at 557.8 per 100,000.
“The gender gap in persons charged reflects both patterns of offending and enforcement,” a senior criminologist who reviewed the statistics said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Targeted prevention and community policing in male‑dominated hotspots could help reduce offending and arrest rates.”
A substantial portion of the rise is attributable to non‑injurious traffic violations and other public‑order categories.
The report lists 279,931 non‑injurious traffic violations an enormous component of the “public safety and state security” grouping.
Acts against public order, authority and provisions of the State totaled 17,390 offences for the quarter.
Analysts and civil‑society experts urged authorities to interpret the rise carefully.
“An increase in recorded crime can mean more offences, but it can also reflect improved reporting or enforcement,” said a legal scholar at the University of Zimbabwe.
“Either way, the government needs to complement enforcement with prevention social services, education, and economic opportunity particularly in the worst‑affected provinces.”
ZIMSTAT noted limitations in the data, saying recorded figures exclude crimes that are not reported to police or are not recorded by officers, a caveat that could understate some categories such as sexual violence and trafficking.
Next steps recommended in the report include using the statistics to guide evidence‑based interventions across the criminal justice system and strengthening cooperation with technical partners including the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
- Total offences, Q4 2025: 426,946 (up 12.1% from Q3)
- National crime rate: 2,812.7 per 100,000 (Q3: 2,508.3)
- Acts against public safety and state security: 280,667 (1,849.1 per 100,000)
- Theft: 37,680 (248.2 per 100,000)
- Assaults and threats: 29,975 (197.5 per 100,000)
- Persons charged: 367,557 (male rate 4,438.7; female rate 557.8)
- Harare provincial rate: 6,195.3 per 100,000
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