In 2024, South Africa ranked first in the crime index among African countries, with a score of 74.8 index points. Nigeria was the second most dangerous country on the continent, obtaining 66.7 points. The index evaluates the overall crime levels in a specific country. Several African countries scored between 60 and 80 points, indicating high crime levels. Escalating concerns: South Africans worry about crime and violence In 2024, South Africa had one of the highest proportions of respondents expressing concerns about crime and violence compared to other countries participating in an online study. Throughout the period examined, the percentage of participants worried about violence peaked at 67 percent in March 2023. The escalating levels of violent crime currently witnessed in the country has caused this significant rise in concerned respondents. South Africa's organized crime landscape In 2023, South Africa ranked the third highest in organized crime compared to its African counterparts. The continent's most prevalent organized criminal activity was human trafficking and financial crimes. Moreover, from a regional perspective, Southern African countries had the lowest organized crime rate.

In 2024, Pietermaritzburg (South Africa) ranked first in the crime index among African cities, with a rating of roughly 83 index points. The six most dangerous areas on the continent were South African cities. The index estimates the overall level of crime in a specific territory. According to the score, crime levels are classified as very high (over 80), high (60-80), moderate (40-60), low (20-40), and very low (below 20). South Africa’s crime situation According to the crime index ranking, South Africa was the most dangerous country in Africa in 2023, followed by Somalia, Nigeria, and Angola. Murder and organized crime are particularly widespread in South Africa. In 2023, the country had one of the highest murder rates globally, registering around 36 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. Moreover, South Africa’s crime scene is also characterized by the presence of organized criminal activities, for which the country ranked third in Africa. Reflecting these high levels of crime, a survey conducted in 2023 showed that around 56 percent of South Africans were worried about crime and violence in the country. Crime risks in Africa The African continent hosts some of the most dangerous places worldwide. In 2023, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were the least peaceful countries in Africa, according to the Global Peace Index. Worldwide, they ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, behind Afghanistan, Yemen, and Syria. Terrorism is a leading type of crime perpetrated in Africa. Home to Boko Aram, Nigeria is among the countries with the highest number of terrorism-related deaths globally. Furthermore, Burkina Faso had the highest number of fatalities in the world. Human trafficking is also widespread, predominantly in West Africa. The most common forms of exploitation of victims of trafficking in persons are forced labor and sexual exploitation.

In 2024, Pietermaritzburg in South Africa ranked first in the crime index among African cities, scoring 82.5 index points. The six most dangerous areas on the continent were South African cities. Furthermore, Pretoria and Johannesburg followed, with a score of 81.9 and 80.8 points, respectively. The index estimates the overall level of crime in a specific territory. According to the score, crime levels are classified as very high (over 80), high (60-80), moderate (40-60), low (20-40), and very low (below 20). Contact crimes are common in South Africa Contact crimes in South Africa include violent crimes such as murder, attempted murder, and sexual offenses, as well as common assault and robbery. In fiscal year 2022/2023, the suburb of Johannesburg Central in the Gauteng province of South Africa had the highest number of contact crime incidents. Common assault was the main contributing type of offense to the overall number of contact crimes. Household robberies peak in certain months In South Africa, June, July, and December experienced the highest number of household robberies in 2023. June and July are the months that provide the most hours of darkness, thus allowing criminals more time to break in and enter homes without being detected easily. In December, most South Africans decide to go away on holiday, leaving their homes at risk for a potential break-in. On the other hand, only around 42 percent of households affected by robbery reported it to the police in the fiscal year 2022/2023.

This statistic shows the most dangerous destinations worldwide in 2015. During the survey, 15 percent of respondents said they thought Africa was the most dangerous travel destination in the world.

As of 2024, Libya was the North African country with the highest crime index, achieving 60.4 index points. The index measures the level of crime in a given country or city. Algeria followed with a score of 52.2 (moderate level). In contrast, Tunisia registered the lowest crime index in North Africa in that year.

In 2024, Rwanda was the safest country in Africa. It had a score of roughly 73.2 points in the safety index, making it the African nation with the lowest crime incidents and the only country with high safety levels - over 60 index points. In several other countries in Africa, the level of safety was considered moderate (40 to 60 index points).

In 2024, Colima in Mexico ranked as the world's most dangerous city with a homicide rate of 140 per 100,000 inhabitants. Seven of the 10 cities with the highest murder rates worldwide are found in Mexico. The list does not include countries where war and conflict exist. Latin America dominates murder statistics Except for Mandela Bay, all the cities on the list are found in Latin America. Latin America also dominate the list of the world's most dangerous countries. Violence in Latin America is caused in great part by drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and gang wars. Crime in South Africa Mandela Bay in South Africa is the only city outside Latin America among the 10 most dangerous cities worldwide. The country is struggling with extremely high levels of inequality, and is struggling with high levels of crime and power outages, harming the country's economy and driving more people into unemployment and poverty.

In 2024, South Africa had a crime index of 75.4, which is to be considered high. However, this was one of the lowest indexes recorded in the country since 2017. Over the observed period, the value continuously fluctuated between 75 and 77. South Africa has the highest crime index in Africa and ranks as the fifth most dangerous country globally according to the same index.

The size and share of the market is categorized based on Application (Explosives, Gases, Flammable Liquids, Flammable Solids, Oxidizing Substances and organic peroxides, Toxic and infectious substances, Radioactive materials, Corrosives) and Product (High Danger, Medium Danger, Low Danger) and geographical regions (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, and Middle-East and Africa).

This repository holds supplementary material such as maps, data sets, and code for my essay ‘Urban Food Riots in Late Ottoman Bilād Al-Shām as a “Repertoire of Contention”’, in Crime, Poverty and Survival in the Middle East and North Africa: The ‘Dangerous Classes’ since 1800, ed. Stephanie Cronin (London: I.B. Tauris, 2019), 157–76. All materials are licensed as cc by-nd 4.0.

Material is organised in the following folders

• data/: data sets on food prices as CSV.
• maps/: maps/geo-located data for the cities of Damascus, Hama, and Homs - mostly as GeoJSON.
• plots/: plots of time series of various food prices across Bilād al-Shām.
• publication/: the final plots used for the publication.
• r/: R scripts for plotting the price data on a timeline.

According to Cognitive Market Research, the global hazardous goods logistics market size will be USD 241548.2 million in 2024. It will expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.0% from 2024 to 2031.

North America held the major market share for more than 40% of the global revenue with a market size of USD 96619.28 million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.2% from 2024 to 2031.
Europe accounted for a market share of over 30% of the global revenue with a market size of USD 72464.46 million.
Asia Pacific held a market share of around 23% of the global revenue with a market size of USD 55556.09 million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.0% from 2024 to 2031.
Latin America had a market share of more than 5% of the global revenue with a market size of USD 12077.41 million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.4% from 2024 to 2031.
Middle East and Africa had a market share of around 2% of the global revenue and was estimated at a market size of USD 4830.96 million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.7% from 2024 to 2031.
The transportation held the highest Hazardous Goods Logistics market revenue share in 2024.

Market Dynamics of Hazardous Goods Logistics Market

Key Drivers for Hazardous Goods Logistics Market

Increasing Adoption of Digitalization to Increase the Demand Globally

Information is possible exchanged quickly and easily due to digitization. Data and reports on hazardous goods acceptance are shared in a couple of seconds with everyone involved, including airlines, ground personnel, pilots, shippers, and management. Many businesses have stepped up their digital initiatives in an attempt to speed up processes. Organizations may improve compliance, decrease errors, accelerate operations, and increase productivity by eliminating paper and spreadsheets. Consequently, digitization has emerged as the key to safely transporting hazardous materials, which is projected to propel the market for hazardous goods logistics to expand at a rapid pace.

Growing Demand of Management for Biomedical Waste to Propel Market Growth

Medical treatment is necessary for our survival and good health, but the waste that results from medical procedures endangers both human health and the natural world. Communities, healthcare professionals, and the environment are all directly impacted in terms of health. Every day, hospitals and other healthcare facilities across the globe produce a sizable volume of toxic and potentially contagious trash. Hospital and biomedical waste (BMW) have to be handled carefully before being disposed away, as improper processing or disposal can seriously harm the environment and public health. Healthcare facilities hire contractors to handle their waste disposal. In an effort to lessen the impact of toxic wastes on the environment and public health, there is a rise in demand for the transportation of hazardous waste. Thus, the market for hazardous goods logistics is expected to rise at a substantial rate due to the increase in demand for biomedical waste management.

Restraint Factor for the Hazardous Goods Logistics Market

Risk Related to the Storage and Transportation of Hazardous Goods to Limit the Growth

A variety of vehicles transports hazardous products like naphtha, LPG, kerosene, and gasoline. The transportation of these materials is prone to accidents. Consequences from automobile crashes include pollution, property damage, fire, explosion, and personal harm. Due to their chemical nature, many dangerous goods are transported by sea. When hazardous goods are transported by sea, the primary environmental impacting scenarios are the uncontrolled expulsion of liquids into the atmosphere, outgassing, and trash formation. Resident respiratory issues and explosions could result from spilled material. Thus, during the whole transportation process, including loading, unloading, and storage, accidents causing environmental harm are linked to the transportation of hazardous chemicals. In addition, the expense of maintaining ecosystems, sophisticated technologies, and infrastructure following environmental harm from hazardous material transportation is included in the cost of the environment. Therefore, when the number of incidents rises, environmental costs also rise, which is predicted to impede the market's growth for hazardous pr...

Burkina Faso is one of the countries with the highest terrorism threat levels in the world. In 2023, the terrorism index in this West-African country stood at around 8.6, the highest in Africa. Furthermore, it recorded the largest number of deaths related to terrorism worldwide, followed by Mali, Somalia, and Pakistan, with some of the highest terrorism threat indexes in the world. Jihadist fundamentalism in Africa In Africa, several militant groups are active, leading to attacks on both civilian and military targets. In West Africa, among the deadliest groups, there are Boko Haram, JNIM, ISIS in the Greater Sahara, and ISIS-West Africa. The militant group of Al-Shabaab, a jihadist fundamentalist group as well, was responsible for 89 percent of all terror-related deaths in Somalia in 2021. Somalia has the third-highest number of terror-related deaths in the world and ranked second in Africa regarding threat level. Boko Haram Boko Haram, an affiliate of the Islamic State, has been responsible for thousands of deaths in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. Nigeria is the country most affected by the terrorist group's attacks. The terrorist groups aim to establish the Islamic State in Nigeria and to cancel Western education and influence in the country. Among the news on attacks mostly present in the media, the kidnapping of 276 female students from a secondary school in Borno in 2014 received a global response. As of January 2021, 112 girls were still missing, and six students were believed to have died. However, every month dozens of deaths are attributed to the brutality of Boko Haram.

Saint Kitts and Nevis saw a murder rate of 65 per 100,000 inhabitants, making it the most dangerous country for this kind of crime worldwide as of 2023. Interestingly, El Salvador, which long had the highest global homicide rates, has dropped out of the top 20 after a high number of gang members have been incarcerated. Meanwhile, Celaya in Mexico was the most dangerous city for murders. Violent conflicts worldwide Notably, these figures do not include deaths that resulted from war or a violent conflict. While there is a persistent number of conflicts worldwide, resulting casualties are not considered murders. Partially due to this reason, homicide rates in Latin America are higher than those in Afghanistan or Syria. A different definition of murder in these circumstances could change the rate significantly in some countries. Causes of death Also noteworthy is that murders are usually not random events. In the United States, the circumstances of murders are most commonly arguments, followed by narcotics incidents and robberies. Additionally, murders are not a leading cause of death. Heart diseases, strokes and cancer pose a greater threat to life than violent crime.

In 2023, Toyota was the most common brand of car that hijackers targeted in South Africa. Close to 32 percent of all hijacked vehicles were reported as Toyota, followed by Volkswagen, which contributed around 14 percent of all hijacking cases. These brands are also the most popular cars among South African motorists. In general, hijackers tend to target Toyota Hilux, Fortuner, and Etios ranges. Among the Volkswagen brand of motor vehicles, the VW Polo coupe, hatchback, and sedans are the most frequently stolen.   Carjacking incidences The number of carjackings in South Africa has made notable increases over the last few years, with the fiscal year 2023/2024 reaching a record high of almost 23 thousand. Harare in the Western Cape had the highest incidences of carjackings in the country in the same fiscal year. Crime in South Africa According to the crime index ranking, South Africa was the most dangerous country in Africa in 2024. Globally, it has had one of the highest murder rates, registering around 36 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. A survey conducted in December in the same period showed that around 54 percent of South Africans were worried about crime and violence as a result of the rising levels of violent crime in the country.

In FY 2024, Harare in the Western Cape province of South Africa had the highest number of carjackings, with 385 recorded incidences. This accounts for around two percent of the total number of carjackings in the observed period. Nyanga (Western Cape) followed with 338 reports.

The most common country of origin of refugees in Nigeria is Cameroon. As of August 2021, about 67 thousand refugees in Nigeria came from this country. Cameroonians flee from violence ongoing between security forces and armed groups. In the last three years, the number of refugees from Cameroon arriving in Nigeria has increased considerably.

Cameroonian refugees in Nigeria

With almost two thousand kilometers in length, Cameroon's longest border is with Nigeria. The majority of Cameroonian refugees in Nigeria are in the states of Cross River, Benue, and Taraba, the states at the borders with Cameroon. The territories the two countries are also highly impacted by the terrorism of Boko Haram. The violence in this region continues to push people out of their homes and seek safety in neighboring countries.

Deadly migration routes

The migration routes taken by African migrants are among the deadliest in the world. In the attempt to reach other African or European countries, more than ten thousand migrants lost their lives on the African continent between 2014 and 2021. Some of the most dangerous routes include the West African Atlantic route, from West Africa to the Canary Islands, and the Mediterranean routes, from North Africa to South Europe. The latter registers the highest number in the word of deaths and missing people who try to migrate.

The deadliest animals in the world based on the number of human deaths per year is not a creature that humans usually find scary, such as a lion or snake. Mosquitos are by far the deadliest creature in the world when it comes to annual human deaths, causing around one million deaths per year, compared to 100,000 deaths from snakes and 250 from lions. Perhaps surpringly, dogs are the third deadliest animal to humans. Dogs are responsible for around 30,000 human deaths per year, with the vast majority of these deaths resulting from rabies that is transmitted from the dog.

Malaria

Mosquitos are the deadliest creature in the world because they transmit a number of deadly diseases, the worst of which is malaria. Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite that results in fever, chills, headache, vomiting and, if left untreated, death. Malaria disproportionately affects poorer regions of the world such as Africa and South-East Asia. In 2020, there were around 627,000 deaths from malaria worldwide.

Mosquito-borne diseases in the U.S.

The most common mosquito-borne diseases reported in the United States include West Nile virus, malaria, and dengue viruses. Many of these cases, however, are from travelers who contracted the disease in another country - this is especially true for malaria, Zika, and dengue. In 2018, the states of California, New York, and Texas reported the highest number of mosquito-borne disease cases in the United States.

Since 1970, the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington D.C. is the deadliest terrorist attack worldwide, claiming almost 3,000 lives. Moreover, except for the Musha Church massacre during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, all of the 10 most lethal terrorist attacks between 1970 and January 2024 happened after 2001. ISIL stood behind four of these.

Afghanistan was the country most ridden by terrorism

In 2022, Afghanistan topped the Global Terrorism Index, which ranks terrorist activity across the world. While the rise and fall of the Islamic State and its caliphate in Syria and Iraq received much attention during the 2010s, there has been increased terrorist activity in other parts of the world in recent years, particularly in some African countries such as Burkina Faso, Somalia, and Mali.

Taliban was the most active terrorist organization

In 2021, Taliban, which mainly operates in Afghanistan, was the most active terrorist organization that year, being responsible for nearly 800 attacks. The attacks resulted in nearly 4,500 fatalities. Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021 after the NATO-mission in the country ended that year.