Countries with the Lowest Murder Rate

now 4

hirsute: Saudi Arabia has an extremely low crime rate, beating out places like Canada, Kuwait, and Belgium. As do other similar countries the UAE, Bahrain, and Qatar, which are the ones we're actually talking about. Try to focus. Part of the reason for this is that people in those countries are afraid. Everyone knows that there are harsh punishments, and police presence is felt almost everywhere. It's not the only reason but it's a big part of it. I've actually lived in these places before. Have you?

Saudi Arabia's crime rate is very very low but it's still a big country. It's not just about punishment but also policing. The other Gulf states that make the above list have even lower crime rates because they are smaller and easier to control. Iraq, Pakistan and Egypt are huge, populous countries that in many places are pretty lawless. It's downright silly to try and make a comparison between them and the smaller, more prosperous police states of the Gulf.

But if you were going to, Iran, Egypt, Kurdistan, Syria, and Kuwait all have much lower intentional homicide rates than places like Estonia, Martinique, Greenland or the United States.

You make some good points but I think it's really difficult to completely analyse why the crime rate is so low.

I believe the structure of the society in the Gulf states is probably relevant. Most violent crime is committed by people in poverty which I don't believe exists in the same capacity as in the west.

You have wealthy locals and well paid expats who are unlikely to commit such crimes and then the "lower classes" are all immigrants that have their basic needs taken care of, they send money home to their families, and they will immediately be deported if they so much as fart near a local. They're there to make money. I don't think the same can be said for a lot of lower class people in other countries.

I think looking at the state of human rights in the Gulf states will show why a low crime rate isn't everything. Sure, harsh punishments and a strong government to carry them out might deter crime, but it does not deter abuse. In Bahrain you're trading murders for torturing *suspects.*

If Australia was 0.94 it should be on the list.

This difference will have no appreciable effect on your life whatsoever. The odds that it would are similar to the odds of winning the lottery.

@kal, this isn't true. Murders affect far more people than the one who was murdered. Not just family, friends, etc. but probably everyone in the surrounding area, and the difference will almost certainly be noticeable if you happen to be a police officer, someone involved in criminal justice, a forensic anthropologist, or a variety of other professions. The chances probably are that you will never be significantly and demonstrably affected by a higher murder rate. But the chances that you will be are far greater than winning the lottery (assuming you mean the jackpot, winning a small prize at some point is quite likely if you play enough).

I didn't say that they were exactly the same. I said similar. Very very small. AND... I was speaking to the difference in murder rate between the USA and the UK. (which, if you are not a drug dealer or in a gang in the United States, is actually all but non-existent).

I could split hairs even further and say I was not talking about any specific lottery (some drawings are not that contested and I didn't actually say the jackpot), but the point is that it's stupid to be happy that you're living in the UK vs the USA if the reason for that happiness is the difference in murder rates. This will not affect your life.

9-11 has affected many peoples lives, while statistically only a small percentage of people died that day.

Out of interest, is there a significant difference between the Southern Cone and the rest of Latin America? Wouldn't be surprised if the most affluent part of Latin America was also the least homicide-y.

I suspect you could find a correlation if there was any good data. But it is perfectly possible that there never can be good data because studies comparing nations where everyone is in a Western education system to ones where most people aren't educated are going to be biased somehow anyway.

Serial killers generally make up a pretty small percentage of total murders. The typical murderer is going to probably be gang members or poorer people with low levels of education.

Because there is a harsh penalty