Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective, does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.
Crime is present in every corner of the world. This phenomenon cannot be completely eliminated; you can only reduce its manifestations. States can fight crime in different ways: some introduce harsh laws and harsh penalties for violating them, others seek to reduce tension in society and prevent the emergence of an environment that pushes people to crime. Let's see which countries have succeeded the most in this struggle and how they did it.
Ranking of countries with the lowest crime rate
| Nomination | a place | Country | rating |
| Ranking of countries with the lowest crime rate | 1 | Monaco | 5.0 |
| 2 | Iceland | 4.9 | |
| 3 | Hong Kong | 4.8 | |
| 4 | Singapore | 4.7 | |
| 5 | Japan | 4.6 | |
| 6 | Brunei | 4.5 | |
| 7 | Austria | 4.4 | |
| 8 | Norway | 4.3 | |
| 9 | Bahrain | 4.2 | |
| 10 | Switzerland | 4.1 | |
| 11 | Slovenia | 4.0 | |
| 12 | Oman | 3.9 |
1st place: Monaco
Rating: 5.0
The Principality of Monaco is a dwarf European state lying next to France, along the Mediterranean coast. Only 38 thousand people live in it – like in a small Russian town. The population here is incredibly rich – only European millionaires can afford to live in this place. The indigenous people, called Monegasques, are only 25%.
It is believed that there is no crime in Monaco. This is due to the material security of the population, as well as a large number of police officers – there is one law enforcement officer for 60 inhabitants of the country. Mostly indigenous people go to work in the police, this is a prestigious profession that requires a good education.
Monaco is famous for its casino located in the city of Monte Carlo. Mostly tourists play here, this activity is not encouraged among the indigenous people. It is also in this country that one of the stages of the Formula 1 automobile championship is held, called the Monaco Grand Prix. Most of the year it is quiet and calm here – except for July and August, when the elite of Europe gathers in the principality, and many local residents leave the country.
2nd place: Iceland
Rating: 4.9
Iceland is a state lying on several islands in the Atlantic Ocean, on the border with the Arctic. Takes its name from the largest of them. 350 thousand people live here. Basically, the country is known for its nature – fjords, waterfalls, volcanoes, geysers and unusual landscapes.
Life here is very quiet and safe. Although many residents have personal weapons – the entire population of the islands has about 90 thousand barrels – there are few cases of their use against people. Shotguns are needed for hunting – a fairly frequent activity of the locals. The cops here are usually unarmed, as they rarely have to deal with someone really dangerous.
Since the country is similar in population to a medium-sized city, here almost everyone has at least one common friend connected to everyone. Perhaps it is because of the sense of community that few people commit serious crimes against other inhabitants of the islands. Icelandic girls are not afraid to walk alone at night, even drunk, and rarely is anyone afraid to get into a car with a stranger who offered to give a ride. There is very little class stratification here, conflicts between rich and poor are atypical.
An incident that happened in 2017 indicates how unusual crimes are for locals. Then the girl went missing (later she was found killed), which stirred up the population of the island, and began a large-scale search. The Irish people still remember the incident, organizing a memorial day every year.
3rd place: Hong Kong
Rating: 4.8
Hong Kong is a special administrative region of the PRC, which is considered by many to be an independent state and in many aspects is it. Lies on the islands of the South China Sea and the Kowloon Peninsula, has a border and visa regime with mainland China. The inhabitants speak the Cantonese dialect of Chinese, which is so different from the standard language that the Chinese cannot understand it.
The punishments for crimes here, as in China, are quite severe. On the other hand, there are few restrictions on doing business. Therefore, there is no significant social base for crime, residents prefer to make money legally. Even poor people who have barely enough money to live on, seek to improve their situation in an honest way.
Organized crime in Hong Kong is represented by Chinese triads. Their participants are usually from the mainland of the PRC or Taiwan. The triads control drug trafficking and other illegal businesses, they can come into conflict with each other, but local or foreign people rarely suffer from this confrontation.
4th place: Singapore
Rating: 4.7
The city-state of Singapore lies on islands in Southeast Asia, next to Indonesia and Malaysia. In 1965, at independence, it was a poor and corrupt country. The situation was changed by Lee Kuan Yew, the first prime minister of the republic. He attracted investors to Singapore and made the independent city the financial and trade center of the region.
Singapore is now one of the safest countries for citizens and tourists. It is safe to be on the street at any time of the day, crimes are rare and occur mainly in places with abundant tourists. Most often these are petty thefts, robberies occasionally occur. Despite the huge difference in income between different segments of the population, there are very few extremely poor people who are pushed onto the path of crime by want.
Security in Singapore comes at the cost of very strict laws and harsh penalties. For serious offenses, including drug trafficking, the death penalty is possible. Corporal punishment (caneing) is common for adult men for theft, rape, disorderly conduct in the army, prison or court. Children in schools and families are also punished in this way.
Tourists most often face fines. Residents of many countries may be very surprised to learn what is considered an offense here – they are fined for the use of chewing gum, smoking in all places except specially designated areas, bathing at night, a cigarette butt thrown by the trash can accidentally, the presence of cigarettes for which no tax has been paid upon import . You cannot eat or drink in the subway and other public places. Therefore, before traveling, you should carefully study the local rules of conduct in order not to spend more in the city than planned.
5th place: Japan
Rating: 4.6
This country, lying on islands covered with mountains and volcanoes, famous for its unique culture and popular cuisine in many parts of the world, as well as cherry blossoms, is visited by millions of tourists. One of the things that people who come to Japan notice is safety, lack of fear of becoming a victim of a crime. Tourists notice that the Japanese are rarely afraid to walk the streets at night, that a thing left in a public place is usually waiting for its owner.
The Japanese are characterized by a concern for security. For this, the streets are hung with video surveillance cameras, very strict rules for acquiring weapons have been introduced – even members of the mafia go without it. Nowadays the main concern of the police is petty crimes such as graffiti or shoplifting.
Organized crime is represented by the Japanese mafia – the yakuza. It has existed for more than several centuries, has rules and traditions similar to those of the samurai. Mafia members are not hiding, they can support right-wing politicians. The Yakuza can “protect” businessmen, force companies to purchase goods from firms controlled by groups, organize prostitution and gambling, and beat out debts. The Mafia rarely harms the general population of the country, and many regard the organization with respect as the guardian of the traditions of Japanese society.
6th place: Brunei
Rating: 4.5
Brunei is a tiny state occupying a small piece of the island of Kalimantan, the rest of which is divided between Indonesia and Malaysia. The country is almost solely ruled by the sultan, earlier there were signs of a constitutional monarchy, but it degenerated into an absolute theocratic. Due to the export of oil, a very high standard of living is maintained, residents do not pay any taxes, they can get education abroad and make a pilgrimage to Mecca with government money.
Because of the material security of the population, crimes are rare here. An exception is pickpockets, which often operate in places where there are many tourists – in seaports and airports, various public institutions.
In Brunei, in addition to the civil court, there is a Sharia court. It provides for punishment with a whip for extramarital sex, the death penalty for betrayal of a spouse and homosexuality, chopping off hands for theft. Residents and tourists are prohibited from drinking alcohol in public places, eating in public places before sunset during Ramadan. The severity of punishments and restrictions on alcohol can be one of the reasons for the low crime rate.
7th place: Austria
Rating: 4.4
Austria is a small country within the European Union. Has a historical continuity with the Habsburg Monarchy, the Austrian Empire and Austria-Hungary. Austrians, like the Germans living nearby, are known for their law-abidingness. The country is even safer than Germany. The capital city – Vienna – is considered one of the most comfortable places to live in the world and is also famous for its historical sights.
The respectful attitude of the locals to the law is manifested even in the smallest details. Here you can rarely see garbage thrown out in the wrong place or a person crossing the road at a red light. There are an order of magnitude less murders per capita in this country than in Russia. Sometimes thefts and robberies happen. The usual strategy of the locals is not to resist the robber, but to give the money and immediately contact the police.
The presence of law enforcement officers here is hardly noticeable. However, the police are armed and can severely suppress offenses. It is better to address police officers in German, but they also know English. A peculiarity of Austria is a loyal attitude to street smoking – a person who smokes near a shopping center, a police officer will only make an oral suggestion, and this rarely happens.
8th place: Norway
Rating: 4.3
Norway is a good example of a country that combines a low crime rate with soft laws. There is not only the death penalty, but also life imprisonment – no matter how terrible a person's act is, he cannot be imprisoned for more than 21 years. There are no exceptions – even the world famous terrorist Anders Breivik, who killed 77 people, received just such a term and when it ends, he will be released.
In Norway, the main causes of crime are a sense of lack of justice in society and a lack of correct, kind upbringing. The state seeks to eliminate these social problems. For juvenile criminals, courses of “social intelligence” are arranged, where they are taught and examined on the topics of conflict resolution, the correct fight against stress, the rules of relationships with others.
Criminals here rarely spend more than a few months in prison. Norwegian prisons bear little resemblance to places for serving sentences: each inmate is provided with a separate room with a bathroom, TV and books, and walks in the gardens surrounding the prison buildings are allowed. Over the years of punishment, criminals can receive the missing education and master working professions. After leaving, only a few commit the same offenses again.
9th place: Bahrain
Rating: 4.2
The Kingdom of Bahrain is the smallest of the Arab states. Lies on several islands in the Persian Gulf. This is one of the most liberal among Islamic countries, because it is here that people from neighboring Saudi Arabia come here looking for entertainment. In many hotels, discos are held until the morning, and prostitutes are working to serve the Arabians. Quite mild, in comparison with neighboring countries, restrictions on alcohol – its sale is allowed, although open carrying and drinking of alcohol on the street is prohibited.
Despite the Arabian tourists having fun, the country remains one of the safest in the region and in the world. The police are especially careful in stopping crimes against foreigners, therefore it is much safer to be here than in neighboring countries. Thefts happen – usually they are committed by visitors from Central Asian countries. The kingdom tolerates other religions – in addition to Muslims, Jews and Christians live here.
10th place: Switzerland
Rating: 4.1
Switzerland is known for its banks and clocks, mountains covered with snow, and for the fact that it has not participated in wars for many centuries. The population is well armed, but peaceful – killings are extremely rare. The country is characterized by economic stability and high average incomes of the population.
The Swiss are not characterized by murders and robberies, but various economic crimes. Fraudsters and bribe-takers from other states often hide from justice, the country serves as a place for “money laundering”. Locals, on the other hand, may be prone to tax evasion or speed violations while driving.
Switzerland has a lot of laws and restrictions. For example, it is forbidden to ride snowmobiles and jet skiing, ride bicycles outside the roadway. The order is monitored by a huge number of types of police forces – there are units responsible for water bodies, the fight against illegal disposal of garbage, burial of animals, illegal migration and many other types of police. Often, law enforcement officers are assisted by initiative citizens who are allowed to participate in the capture of criminals.
11th place: Slovenia
Rating: 4.0
Slovenia is one of the most prosperous among the Slavic countries. Residents of other Balkan states often come to it to work. It is not very expensive to live here, but the standard of living is quite high. Also in this country, clean air and water, and 60% of the territory is occupied by forests.
In Slovenia, unlike the states of Western Europe, there is no such a noticeable influx of refugees, the country does not suffer from terrorism. Crimes are very rare, in 90% of cases – no more serious than theft. Street crime is almost absent. Of course, here you cannot leave things unattended and be completely sure that they will remain in their place, as in some other countries, but if you are careful, the property threat is also minimal.
The police, if called by local 113, arrive in a few minutes. Even if it was just a theft, they will immediately start an investigation. You can communicate with law enforcement officers in English.
12th place: Oman
Rating: 3.9
Oman is one of the most “secular” among the Gulf countries. Women are allowed to wear clothes that do not cover the whole body, work in almost any profession, walk the streets alone, and even divorce their husbands on their own initiative. It is also a very rich country – wealth, like in many other Arab countries, comes from oil. Residents do not pay any taxes, they receive free land for building housing, they are often forgiven for borrowed loans.
Half a century ago, before Sultan Qaboos came to power, Oman was an impoverished country with almost no hospitals and educational institutions, and the order was similar to medieval ones. Now it is a country where everyone can get a free education, including abroad, there is almost no street crime, beggars and homeless people.
As in other Islamic countries, crimes here are considered to be things that are not usually punished in the rest of the world – adultery, drinking alcohol, gambling. Even so, there are very few prisoners serving sentences here – sometimes one prison per region is enough to fit them all. The death penalty, which has not been abolished in Oman, is almost never used. It is also said that there are no political prisoners in the country.
Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.
