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Acts of crime occur all around the world, both in richer and poorer countries. Crime involves harming other people or damaging the property of others, including common goods belonging to the society. Crime acts range from threats and harassment, domestic violence, larceny, illegal possession of guns or drugs, cybercrime, to violent offences such as sexual assaults, homicide, or human trafficking.
Highest murder rates in Latin America
Violent crimes tend to occur more frequently in countries and regions where a high number of the population lives in poverty, and where government institutions are weak. This explains the high murder rates found in some Latin American countries. Of the 10 countries with the highest murder rates in worldwide, seven were found in Latin America, the other three being in Africa. El Salvador, the country with the highest homicide rate globally, had a ,murder rate of 52 per 100,000 inhabitants. Many of the most dangerous cities in the world are also found in Latin America. The list was dominated by cities in Mexico, with St. Louis in the United States having the highest murder rate outside Mexico.
However, these numbers do not include victims killed in violent conflict or war. For instance, people living in Pakistan had the highest risk of becoming victims of a genocide in 2022, followed by Yemenis. A high number of countries on the list are found in Africa. That year, there were 21 ongoing wars in the world, 16 of these being fought in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Terrorism
Terrorism is a violent crime that claims thousands of lives annually, often receiving significant medial attention. Since the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on 9/11 in 2001, the so-called War on Terror has been one of the dominating international topics. Whereas this was the deadliest terrorist attack through history, most of the terrorist attacks in 2021 happened in countries in the Global South. That year, the highest number of attacks was registered in Syria, followed by Afghanistan. Meanwhile, in 2022, Burkina Faso registered the highest share of fatalities in terrorist attacks worldwide. Whereas the total number of terrorist attacks worldwide decreased from 2014 to 2021, the number of fatalities fluctuated, peaking in 2018 at almost 33,000.
Cyber crime
With the development of online and mobile technologies, cybercrime is becoming more and more common. In 2022, about 40 percent of internet users worldwide experienced cybercrime. Investments and business e-mail compromises accounted for the largest reported victim losses. A high number of the victims of cybercrime are professional businesses and private individuals, but also public institutions are increasingly becoming victims of cyber attacks. For instance, this is a common weapon in Russia's ongoing war Ukraine.
Prison and punishment
As the highest murder rates are found in Latin American countries, some of the highest incarceration rates worldwide are also found here. Furthermore, the United States had the sixth highest incarceration rate at the beginning of 2023, which is related to the high number of people in the country being imprisoned for drug-related crimes. Meanwhile, several countries in Latin America are struggling with overcrowded prisons. In some countries, the death penalty is seen as a suitable punishment for some types of crime, but this has been abandoned in several countries.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Jul 3, 2024
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Violent Crime
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Terrorism
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Cybercrime
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