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Countries With the Lowest Murder Rate in the World

Singapore, Iceland, and Japan might just be new living prospects for you. These ten countries with the lowest murder rate in the world will have you questioning why you don't live in a safer country.

By Sherry CampbellPublished 6 years ago 5 min read
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These nations that are considered to be some of the safest places in the world, considering their crime rates. Keeping their population, statistics, and overall murder statistics in mind, these countries have some of the lowest murder rates in the world.

Singapore, Iceland, and Japan might just be new living prospects for you. These ten countries with the lowest murder rate in the world will have you questioning why you don't live in one of the safest countries in the world.

Singapore

Known to be one of the safest countries on the earth, Singapore has one of, if not the, lowest murder rate in the world. A country that is the size of Rhode Island, with over four times the population, the country is as populated as can be, yet proves that this is no excuse for violence.

With only 16 people murdered in 2011, Singapore is regarded to be the safest country in Asia, and has one of the lowest murder rates in the world. Violent crime being rare, a total of 175 crimes were committed in 2015, which was a drastic decrease from 315 crimes the previous year. However, the majority of the crimes in the country come from online scamming and fraud.

Switzerland

With a murder rate of .49 per 100,000 residents in 2014, Switzerland is next on our list of the countries with the lowest murder rate in the world. This is popularly attested to the pro-gun lifestyle in the country, with one of the highest firearm ownership rate in the world.

However, this is often argued by comparing the United State's murder rates, as it is a few places above the highest firearm ownership rates to Switzerland. Only 41 murders were committed in 2014, and the majority of crime comes in the form of either theft of vehicle theft, and are often committed by foreigners. Another argument to be made about this low murder rate reasoning is the fact that Switzerland is an extremely rich nation.

Iceland

As one of the least populated countries in the world, Iceland often does not require police to even patrol their streets, given how safe the country is. This includes having zero armed police, and little violence occurring. If a year includes only one murder, the country mourns together.

This is how our world should be. Murder is becoming desensitized, and Iceland is a perfect example of how it should be processed. Named to be the world's most peaceful country by the Global Peace Index, the low crime rate is almost shocking. From 2000 to 2014, there have been a total of 26 murders.

Japan

Another one of the safest countries in Asia with the lowest murder rate in the world, Japan's street crime is almost non-existent, as well as drug use. With a population of 127 million, there is very slim gun carrying, and has a murder rate that is 15 times less than the United States, a nation they are three times the size of.

And we couldn't forget to mention Toyko, which is considered to be the safest city in the world when it comes to human crime. However, organized crime is still an issue in Japan, and this includes blackmail, pornography, and arson.

Luxembourg

A very small country with a small population, Luxembourg has a population of 600,000 within only 1,000 square miles. One of Europe's smallest nations, Rhode Island is bigger than the entire country. Violent crime is almost non-existant in the country, armed robberies being the most damaging to their reputation. This is attested to their low poverty rates as well as high quality of life listings.

However, it is still important to be aware that small crimes are still an issue in the country, like purse-snatching and pickpocketing, especially in tourist areas.

Denmark

Next on our list of the countries with the lowest murder rate in the world is Denmark. With the 5th lowest murder rate in the OECD, violent crime is scarce. With street crime being slow, even drug trafficking violence has diminished.

From 2014 on, the low crime rates have been making headlines, the country has been recognised as one of the safest and most secure countries to visit and to live in.

Norway

With five million people living in the country of Norway, the year of 2015 saw a total of 21 murders for the entirety of the year. Twenty five out of five million is an astonishing murder rate. Compared to the murders committed in an American state, the country of Norway would have the lowest murder rate among the 50 states.

If that doesn't open your eyes to how high American murder rates are, we don't know what will. However, the country has still seen tragedy, and the terrible car bomb travesty killing 77 people by a far-right terrorist has shaken the nation still to this day. Even with this aside, the country is seen as one of the safest in the world.

Austria

Austria, the tiny European country, is one of the safest countries on our list. With the sixth lowest homicide rate in the OECD, Austria has a population of eight million. This is one of the smallest countries on our list, but still considered to be extremely safe.

With only 40 murders per year on average, the homicide rate is one worthy of a bit of praise for the safety of the country. Though the country did struggle with the popularity of human trafficking, this is no longer as big of an issue.

Germany

Next on our list of the countries with the lowest murder rate in the world is Germany. Nearing 83 million people in the country, Germany has the 9th lowest homicide rate in the OECD. But with the population of this country in mind, the small population of Austria is just slightly safer than the country with the highest population in the EU.

It has 15 million more citizens than France and the United Kingdom. Comparing Germany to the United States, Germany has seen a little over 2,000 murders within their 80 million population, compared to the United States seeing 15 thousand within the past couple of years.

Sweden

To complete our list of the countries with the lowest murder rate in the world, Sweden is well worth mentioning as being one of the safest places to live. With a population of 10 million people, there have been a total of 90 murders per year. Sweden is a similar size to the state of Michigan, and the state alone records many more murders than 90.

However, the country still struggles with high pickpocketing rates. And though rape is differently considered in Sweden compared to the United States, it has the highest rape rate in Europe.

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About the Creator

Sherry Campbell

Second grade teacher by day, at home therapist for two middle school daughters by night.

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