5 Countries That Have Highest Crime Rates In The World

The countries with the highest murder rates may surprise you. It’s a known fact that the modern world is everything but a safe place. But it’s shocking to see just how unsafe the world can be. On today’s list we are going to take a look around the world using the international homicide rate statistics. Based on the number of homicides per 100,000 inhabitants per year, these statistics will allow us to see which countries have the highest murder rates. Do you want to know which countries have deal with the most murders? Then we present to you the 5 countries with the highest murder rates in the world.

* Honduras, 90.4

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Honduras, home to about 8.25 million people, has by far the highest homicide rate of all countries in the world. Its unparalleled average rate of 90.4 murders per 100,000 people means that in this country, almost every 1,000th person is killed. Since Honduras is a popular holiday destination, tourists are often targeted as victims of various violent crimes.

* Venezuela, 53.7

Located on the northern coast of South America, Venezuela has been known as one of world´s major oil exporters but also as a country with pervasive and unusually high occurrence of homicides. Last year, only 19% of local residents felt safe when walking alone at night and they had a good reason for that – every year, more than 50 people out of 100,000 are killed in Venezuela and the number has been constantly growing over the last decades.

* Belize, 44.7

With an area of 22,800 square kilometers (8,800 sq mi) and a population of about 340,000 people, Belize is the least densely populated country in Central America. But despite its amazing natural beauties and wildlife, this country is far from being a good place to live. Enormous homicide rate of almost 45 murders per 100,000 people makes Belize one of the most dangerous countries in the world. The homicides are particularly frequent in the Belize City district where, in 2007, for example, half of all that year´s murders occurred.

* El Salvador, 41.2

Deeply affected by the long-term and devastating civil war (1979 – 1992), El Salvador is a Central American country and a home to about 6.3 million people. The extremely high homicide rate in this country is marked by significant occurrence gang-related crimes and juvenile delinquency. In 2004, for example, as much as 60% of the murders committed in Salvador were carried out by local gangs competing for power and territory.

* Guatemala, 39.9

With a population of almost 16 million, Guatemala is the most populous country in Central America. With an average of about 100 murders committed every month, Guatemala has ranked as the country with the 5th highest homicide rate in the world. In the 1990s, for example, the city of Escuintla had an annual rate of 165 murders per 100,000 people.