Crime rates in the United States increased significantly in the years following the pandemic. According to experts, this surge in crime was caused by economic pressures brought upon by the lockdown. In our most crime-ridden cities in America piece, we saw that while recently there is some improvement, crime rates in the country have not fallen to the pre-pandemic levels. According to a report by the Council of Criminal Justice, the number of homicides in 2022 was 4% lower than the counts recorded in 2021. However, other categories of crime such as larcenies, nonresidential burglaries, and robberies increased by at least 5.5%.
Hate crimes are a significant issue in the United States. According to data from the FBI, in 2022, 11,634 criminal incidents and 13,337 related offenses were motivated by bias toward ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability. The top three bias categories in single-bias incidents in 2022 were race (including ethnicity and ancestry), religion, and sexual orientation. By volume of reported hate crime incidents, the largest bias subcategories were anti-Black for racial, anti-Jewish for religious, and anti-Gay for sexual orientation bias.
There is data, however, to support that the crime rate in the United States is beginning to reach the pre-pandemic level. It fell significantly in 2023 as according to FBI data, the year saw a 13% decline in murder along with a 5% drop in robbery and aggravated assault.
Crime has an adverse effect on the society. Gun violence, for example, not only leads to increased medical costs but also instills fear and leads to more prevalence of guns in society. We previously saw in our piece about U.S. cities with the highest violent crime rates, a 2019 study found a statistically significant increase in gun sales occurs in the months following each mass shooting.
High crime rates are also detrimental to the overall economy of the country. In 2022, Walmart, Inc. (NYSE:WMT)’s CEO Doug McMillon said that the prices of items could increase because of the increasing shoplifting. He also said that this could lead to the closure of stores in many locations. In our list of the African countries with the highest crime rates, we mentioned that Walmart, Inc. (NYSE:WMT) shut down its only store in Portland and one store in Chicago. In 2021, retailers in the United States lost a combined $94.5 billion to inventory loss and shrinkage. Following this move by Walmart, Inc. (NYSE:WMT), Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT)’s CEO also hinted at closing stores, citing violence and organized retail crimes as a reason.
While the United States is not among the countries with the highest crime rates, the situation here is far from ideal. The country ranked 11 (out of 38 ranks) according to the 2023 Gallup Law and Order Report. The Organized Crime Index currently ranks the United States 95 (out of 145 ranks) in terms of least criminality. According to the Insider Monkey Criminality Index, the country ranks 43 (out of 82 ranks) in terms of overall law and order. Compared to the United States, Japan has much less crime. Gallup ranks it as the 8th best country for law and order. It is also ranked as the 14th best country for law and order according to the Insider Monkey Criminality Index.
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Methodology
To curate our list of the 20 countries with the highest crime rates in the world, we used the Insider Monkey Criminality Index. Our index is created using Gallup’s 2023 Law and Order Index and Organized Crime Index ranked for Criminality. For each of these sources, we ranked countries according to their criminality. For example, if we considered only countries A and B and country A had a lesser crime rate according to the index, it ranked 1st and country B ranked second. Then we averaged their rank number from both sources to arrive at the Insider Monkey Criminality Index.
It is essential to note that both indexes we used omitted some countries and our index only contains countries that were present in both. Our criminality index contains 130 countries, the higher their score on the Insider Monkey Criminality Index, the higher the crime rate and the lower their law and order rank. Some countries rank the same in terms of law and order, and therefore, have an equal crime rate.
20 – Brazil
Insider Monkey Criminality Index – 72
Law and Order Rank – 68
Brazil is one of the countries with the highest crime rates in the world. The country, unsurprisingly, also makes it to our list of the countries with the most cyber crimes in the world as it leads in banking trojan attacks. Illegal trafficking of arms and ammunition is also a significant issue in the country. Brazil’s largest criminal organization, The Primeiro Comando da Capital, is also involved in international and domestic drug trafficking.
19 – Iraq
Insider Monkey Criminality Index – 73
Law and Order Rank – 69
Iraq has a thriving human trafficking and smuggling market because of the widespread displacement of many Iraqis. Another critical issue in the country is arms trafficking, as weapons from its past conflicts continue to circulate in the black market. The country’s urban areas and provinces along the Iran border also have a drug trade issue with rising rates of addiction.
18 – Iran
Insider Monkey Criminality Index – 73
Law and Order Rank – 69
Iran and Iraq both rank 69 in terms of law and order according to the Insider Monkey Criminality Index. The country’s regional geo-political strategy has led to significant arms trafficking as it supplies weapons to Western Asia and North Africa. One of the prominent features of organized crime in Iran is drug trafficking.
17 – Cameroon
Insider Monkey Criminality Index – 73
Law and Order Rank – 69
Cameroon is located in Central Africa, which is a volatile region. This has led to numerous insurgent groups destabilizing the security in the country. The country is rampant with violent crime, with violence against civilians and government employees being a common occurrence.
16 – Peru
Insider Monkey Criminality Index – 73.5
Law and Order Rank – 70
Peru is one of the 20 countries with the highest crime rates in the world. Crime is so rampant in the country that in 2014, 74% of Perivians reported feeling unsafe while walking alone at night in their neighborhoods. Rape is also a significant issue in the country, with the number of reported cases being 2000 in 2019. In addition, the lack of proper justice remains an issue in the country, as 92% of crimes remained unsolved in 2017.
15 – Libya
Insider Monkey Criminality Index – 74
Law and Order Rank – 71
Irregular migration throughout Libya has led to pervasive human trafficking in the country. In addition, arms trafficking remains a major issue, leading to the formation of various militias. The country also has a drug trafficking problem, with the cocaine trade increasing in recent years.
14 – Venezuela
Insider Monkey Criminality Index – 74
Law and Order Rank – 71
It is often reported that the Venezuelan state’s high-ranking officials collaborate with criminal actors to carry out illegal operations. It is one of the major countries for the production and trafficking of cocaine. The country ranks seventh on our list of countries with the highest number of drug trafficking in the world. In addition, Venezuela remains a significant hub for human trafficking.
13 – Uganda
Insider Monkey Criminality Index – 75
Law and Order Rank – 72
Uganda is 13th on our list of the 20 countries with the highest crime rates in the world. Violent crimes are a significant issue in the country as it was part of the 30 countries with the highest violent crime rates list. In 2021, more than 3,900 people were killed in the country.
12 – Afghanistan
Insider Monkey Criminality Index – 75.5
Law and Order Rank – 73
Afghanistan has remained unstable in the last few decades, leading to high crime rates in the country. While crimes such as homicide and theft are common in the country, its most significant criminal activity is drug trafficking. Unsurprisingly, it ranks 4th on our list of the 10 countries that produce the most illegal drugs in the world and 3rd on our list of countries with the highest number of drug trafficking in the world.
11 – Lebanon
Insider Monkey Criminality Index – 77
Law and Order Rank – 74
Lebanon is 11th on our list of the countries with the highest crime rates in the world. The country has faced political instability, leading to widespread organized crime.
10 – Honduras
Insider Monkey Criminality Index – 78
Law and Order Rank – 75
Honduras is among the top ten countries with the highest crime rates in the world. The country ranks 12th in terms of drug trafficking and 21st in terms of violent crimes, according to Insider Monkey. The country witnessed 38.25 murders per 100,000 people in 2021 and is considered one of the most dangerous in the Americas. In addition, it has been one of the major transit hubs for cocaine since 1970 and has recently emerged as one of the focal points for drugs being transported into the United States.
9 – Kenya
Insider Monkey Criminality Index – 80
Law and Order Rank – 76
Sexual exploitation is a common crime in Kenya, and it serves as a source, transit, and destination country for human trafficking. Its position on a common trafficking route between the Horn of Africa, Southern Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and South Asia contributes to human trafficking. In addition, arms trafficking is also pervasive in the country. Kenya also serves as a transit for the heroin trade, and there is a huge domestic cocaine and heroin abuse problem.
8 – Paraguay
Insider Monkey Criminality Index – 82.5
Law and Order Rank – 77
Paraguay ranks 10th as the country with the most drug trafficking, according to Insider Monkey. The country also has a highly decentralized human trafficking market and has recently emerged as a major hub for arms trafficking in its region.
7 – Ecuador
Insider Monkey Criminality Index – 83
Law and Order Rank – 78
Ecuador is one of the countries with the highest crime rates in the world. More recently, violent crimes have surged in the country. As its economy started to falter, organized crime violence started increasing in 2018. It is unsurprising, therefore, that it ranks 11th on our list of countries with the highest rates of violent crimes.
6 – Nigeria
Insider Monkey Criminality Index – 84.5
Law and Order Rank – 79
Human trafficking networks operate in the southern part of Nigeria, especially in the Benin city. The country has a widespread prevalence of human smuggling, kidnapping for ransom, and extortion. It also serves as a major transit point for the global heroin trade.
5 – South Africa
Insider Monkey Criminality Index – 84.5
Law and Order Rank – 79
South Africa is among the top 5 countries with the highest crime rates in the world. It is among the top 3 countries on Insider Monkey’s list of countries with the highest rates of violent crime. In addition, cybercrime is also quite rampant in the country, as Insider Monkey ranks it in seventh position in the list of countries with the most cyber crimes.
4 – Mexico
Insider Monkey Criminality Index – 85
Law and Order Rank – 80
Mexico acts as a transit hub for human trafficking between Central and North America. In addition, the country has a highly consolidated arms trafficking market. Its drug trafficking organizations dominate markets in the United States, and the country also produces a significant quantity of heroin.