In 2025, Pietermaritzburg in South Africa ranked as the world's most dangerous city with a crime rate of 82 per 100,000 inhabitants. Five of the 10 cities with the highest crime rates worldwide are found in South Africa. The list does not include countries where war and conflict exist. South Africa dominates crime statistics When looking at crime rates, among the 10 most dangerous cities in the world, half of them are found in South Africa. 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. Crime in Latin America On the other hand, when looking at murder rates, Latin America dominates 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.

In 2023, around 3,640.56 violent crimes per 100,000 residents were reported in Oakland, California. This made Oakland the most dangerous city in the United States in that year. Four categories of violent crimes were used: murder and non-negligent manslaughter; forcible rape; robbery; and aggravated assault. Only cities with a population of at least 200,000 were considered.

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, the Mexican city of Colima was the second most deadly city in the world, with a murder rate of ****** per 100,000 inhabitants. * out of the top 10 cities with over ******* habitants and the highest homicide rates were located in Mexico.

The average for 2017 based on 97 countries was 7.4 homicides per 100,000 people. The highest value was in El Salvador: 61.8 homicides per 100,000 people and the lowest value was in Japan: 0.2 homicides per 100,000 people. The indicator is available from 1990 to 2017. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Turks and Caicos Islands saw a murder rate of ***** per 100,000 inhabitants, making it the most dangerous country for this kind of crime worldwide as of 2024. Interestingly, El Salvador, which long had the highest global homicide rates, has dropped out of the top 29 after a high number of gang members have been incarcerated. Meanwhile, Colima 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.

The statistic shows the homicide rate worldwide in 2010, by region. In 2010, the homicide rate of Africa stood at 17.4 homicides per 100,000 of population.

A ranking of the most dangerous cities in the world based on murder rate per capita can be found here.

In 2024, Pietermaritzburg (South Africa) ranked first in the crime index among African cities, with a rating of roughly ** 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, ************ was the most dangerous country in Africa in 2023, followed by ***************** and ******. Murder and organized crime are particularly widespread in South Africa. In 2023, the country had one of the highest murder rates globally, registering around ** 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 ** 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, *********** and the ******************************** 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.

Crime Analytics Tools Market Outlook

The global crime analytics tools market size was valued at approximately USD 5.3 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach around USD 12.7 billion by 2032, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.2% during the forecast period. The key growth factor driving this market is the increasing need for advanced analytical tools to combat rising crime rates and enhance public safety. With the rapid advancements in technology and the growing importance of data in decision-making processes, the crime analytics tools market is poised for substantial growth.

One of the primary growth factors for the crime analytics tools market is the rising incidence of criminal activities globally, which has prompted law enforcement agencies to invest in advanced analytical solutions. These tools help in identifying, predicting, and preventing crimes, thus enhancing the overall effectiveness of law enforcement operations. Additionally, the integration of machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) in crime analytics tools is revolutionizing the way crimes are analyzed and mitigated, providing a significant boost to market growth.

Another critical growth factor is the increasing government initiatives and funding aimed at strengthening national security and public safety. Governments worldwide are recognizing the importance of advanced crime analytics tools in enhancing public safety and are consequently increasing their budget allocations for the adoption of these tools. This surge in government investments is expected to drive the market's growth significantly during the forecast period.

The proliferation of smart city initiatives is also contributing to the market's growth. As cities around the world aim to become smarter and safer, the deployment of advanced crime analytics tools is becoming essential. These tools enable city authorities to monitor and manage urban safety more effectively, thereby reducing crime rates and improving the quality of life for residents. This trend is expected to fuel the demand for crime analytics tools in the coming years.

Regionally, North America dominates the crime analytics tools market, owing to the high adoption rate of advanced technologies and significant government investments in public safety. The Asia Pacific region is anticipated to witness the highest growth rate during the forecast period, driven by increasing urbanization, rising crime rates, and growing government initiatives for public safety. Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa are also expected to contribute significantly to the market's growth, with steady adoption of crime analytics tools across these regions.

Component Analysis

The crime analytics tools market is segmented based on components into software, hardware, and services. The software segment holds the largest market share and is expected to maintain its dominance throughout the forecast period. Crime analytics software includes advanced solutions that leverage data analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to analyze crime patterns, predict future crimes, and provide actionable insights to law enforcement agencies. The increasing adoption of these sophisticated software solutions by government agencies and private security firms is driving the growth of this segment.

The hardware segment, although smaller compared to software, plays a crucial role in the overall crime analytics ecosystem. Hardware components include surveillance cameras, sensors, and other data collection devices that are essential for gathering real-time data. The integration of these hardware components with advanced software solutions enhances the overall efficiency of crime analytics tools. The continuous advancements in hardware technology, such as the development of high-resolution cameras and IoT-enabled devices, are expected to drive the growth of this segment.

The services segment is also witnessing significant growth, driven by the increasing need for implementation, training, and maintenance services associated with crime analytics tools. As these tools become more sophisticated, the demand for specialized services to ensure their optimal performance is rising. These services include consulting, custom development, and ongoing support, which are crucial for the successful deployment and operation of crime analytics solutions. The growing emphasis on end-to-end solutions is further propelling the demand for services in this market.

Overall, the component analysis

In 2022, the New Orleans-Metairie, LA metro area recorded the highest homicide rate of U.S. cities with a population over 250,000, at **** homicides per 100,000 residents, followed by the Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area. However, homicide data was not recorded in all U.S. metro areas, meaning that there may be some cities with a higher homicide rate. St. Louis St. Louis, which had a murder and nonnegligent manslaughter rate of **** in 2022, is the second-largest city by population in Missouri. It is home to many famous treasures, such as the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team, Washington University in St. Louis, the Saint Louis Zoo, and the renowned Gateway Arch. It is also home to many corporations, such as Monsanto, Arch Coal, and Emerson Electric. The economy of St. Louis is centered around business and healthcare, and boasts ten Fortune 500 companies. Crime in St. Louis Despite all of this, St. Louis suffers from high levels of crime and violence. As of 2023, it was listed as the seventh most dangerous city in the world as a result of their extremely high murder rate. Not only does St. Louis have one of the highest homicide rates in the United States, it also reports one of the highest numbers of violent crimes. Despite high crime levels, the GDP of the St. Louis metropolitan area has been increasing since 2001.

In Europe, the Baltic countries of Latvia and Lithuania had the highest and third highest homicide rates respectively in 2022. Latvia had the highest rate at over four per 100,000 inhabitants. Meanwhile, the lowest homicide rate was found in Liechtenstein, with zero murders The most dangerous country worldwide Saint Kitts and Nevis is the world's most dangerous country to live in in terms of murder rate. The Caribbean country had a homicide rate of 65 per 100,000 inhabitants. Nine of the 10 countries with the highest murder rates worldwide are located in Latin America and the Caribbean. Whereas Celaya in Mexico was listed as the city with the highest murder rate worldwide, Colima in Mexico was the city with the highest homicide rate in Latin America, so the numbers vary from source to source. Nevertheless, several Mexican cities rank among the deadliest in the world when it comes to intentional homicides. 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 countries such as Ukraine or the DR Congo. A different definition of murder in these circumstances could change the rate significantly.

Chicago Crime Incident Data

65,000+ Records of Arrests, Locations, and Descriptions

By City of Chicago [source]

About this dataset

This dataset is a compilation of reported crimes that have taken place in the City of Chicago over the past year, and provides an invaluable insight into the criminal activity occurring within our city. Featuring more than 65,000 records of data, it contains information on the date of each incident, its location (down to the block level), type of crime committed (determined by FBI Crime Classification Codes) and whether or not an arrest has been made in connection with each crime. As this dataset reveals detailed information on crime incidents which may lead to personal identification, addresses are masked beyond block level and specific locations are not disclosed.

For additional questions regarding this dataset, please do not hesitate to reach out to The Research & Development Division at 312.745.6071 or RandDchicagopolice.com who will be more than happy to help answer any inquiries you may have about our data findings! All visualized maps should be considered approximate however—it is prohibited for any attempts to derive specific addresses from them as accuracy cannot be guaranteed with regards to mechanical or human error when collecting this data over time. So come join us as we explore a year's worth of criminal activities throughout Chicago!

More Datasets

For more datasets, click here.

Featured Notebooks

• 🚨 Your notebook can be here! 🚨!

How to use the dataset

This guide will provide an overview on how to use this dataset to analyze patterns or draw conclusions about crime incidents in and around Chicago.

Secondly, become familiar with columns names which appear at top most row of your opened file which helps you understand what kind of data is stored at each column such as - CASE# - Unique identifier for the crime incident., DATE OF OCCURRENCE - Date when crime incident occurred , BLOCK - Block where event took place , LOCATION DESCRIPTION- Description of location where incident happened . Through these columns name you can easily recognize what kind of data exists within that record/row. That’s why it’s important to get familiar with them first before diving into raw datasets because they’ll help make exploring and understanding large sets easier later on when we go further into illustrating charts & graphs using programs such as Tableau & Power BI or even spreadsheets (Excel). After understanding column names its time to explore further by digging deeper into each record/row and apply filters if required e.g below $100 value will show only those rows having value less than 100 thus it will filter entire dataset according to your requirement. Lastly analyse collected datasets either Visually through plotting graphs with help tableau software OR By using Mathematical mathematical equations based on research questions such as finding out average values after applying sum/avg functions from respective cells etc

Research Ideas

• Creating a visualization mapping tool to help visualize the types of crimes and their locations over time within Chicago.
• An analysis tool for city officials or police departments so they can understand correlations between crime type, geography, and other factors like weather changes or economic downturns in order to develop long-term plans for crime prevention.
• Developing an AI model that would be able to predict what areas may be more vulnerable for certain types of crimes or even predict crimes ahead of time based on the data from this dataset

Acknowledgements

If you use this dataset in your research, please credit the original authors. Data Source

License

See the dataset description for more information.

Columns

File: crimes-one-year-prior-to-present-1.csv | Column name | Description | |:-------------------------|:------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | CASE# | Unique identifier for each crime incident (String) | | BLOCK | Block where the crime incident occurred (String) | | LOCATION DESCRIPTION | Description of where an incident took place (String) | | ARREST | Indicates if an arrest was made in connection with a crime incident (Boolean) | | DOMESTIC | Indicates if a reported incident is domestic related (Boolean) | | BEAT ...

THIS DATASET WAS LAST UPDATED AT 2:11 AM EASTERN ON JULY 12

OVERVIEW

2019 had the most mass killings since at least the 1970s, according to the Associated Press/USA TODAY/Northeastern University Mass Killings Database.

In all, there were 45 mass killings, defined as when four or more people are killed excluding the perpetrator. Of those, 33 were mass shootings . This summer was especially violent, with three high-profile public mass shootings occurring in the span of just four weeks, leaving 38 killed and 66 injured.

A total of 229 people died in mass killings in 2019.

The AP's analysis found that more than 50% of the incidents were family annihilations, which is similar to prior years. Although they are far less common, the 9 public mass shootings during the year were the most deadly type of mass murder, resulting in 73 people's deaths, not including the assailants.

One-third of the offenders died at the scene of the killing or soon after, half from suicides.

About this Dataset

The Associated Press/USA TODAY/Northeastern University Mass Killings database tracks all U.S. homicides since 2006 involving four or more people killed (not including the offender) over a short period of time (24 hours) regardless of weapon, location, victim-offender relationship or motive. The database includes information on these and other characteristics concerning the incidents, offenders, and victims.

The AP/USA TODAY/Northeastern database represents the most complete tracking of mass murders by the above definition currently available. Other efforts, such as the Gun Violence Archive or Everytown for Gun Safety may include events that do not meet our criteria, but a review of these sites and others indicates that this database contains every event that matches the definition, including some not tracked by other organizations.

This data will be updated periodically and can be used as an ongoing resource to help cover these events.

Using this Dataset

To get basic counts of incidents of mass killings and mass shootings by year nationwide, use these queries:

Mass killings by year

Mass shootings by year

To get these counts just for your state:

Filter killings by state

Definition of "mass murder"

Mass murder is defined as the intentional killing of four or more victims by any means within a 24-hour period, excluding the deaths of unborn children and the offender(s). The standard of four or more dead was initially set by the FBI.

This definition does not exclude cases based on method (e.g., shootings only), type or motivation (e.g., public only), victim-offender relationship (e.g., strangers only), or number of locations (e.g., one). The time frame of 24 hours was chosen to eliminate conflation with spree killers, who kill multiple victims in quick succession in different locations or incidents, and to satisfy the traditional requirement of occurring in a “single incident.”

Offenders who commit mass murder during a spree (before or after committing additional homicides) are included in the database, and all victims within seven days of the mass murder are included in the victim count. Negligent homicides related to driving under the influence or accidental fires are excluded due to the lack of offender intent. Only incidents occurring within the 50 states and Washington D.C. are considered.

Methodology

Project researchers first identified potential incidents using the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Supplementary Homicide Reports (SHR). Homicide incidents in the SHR were flagged as potential mass murder cases if four or more victims were reported on the same record, and the type of death was murder or non-negligent manslaughter.

Cases were subsequently verified utilizing media accounts, court documents, academic journal articles, books, and local law enforcement records obtained through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. Each data point was corroborated by multiple sources, which were compiled into a single document to assess the quality of information.

In case(s) of contradiction among sources, official law enforcement or court records were used, when available, followed by the most recent media or academic source.

Case information was subsequently compared with every other known mass murder database to ensure reliability and validity. Incidents listed in the SHR that could not be independently verified were excluded from the database.

Project researchers also conducted extensive searches for incidents not reported in the SHR during the time period, utilizing internet search engines, Lexis-Nexis, and Newspapers.com. Search terms include: [number] dead, [number] killed, [number] slain, [number] murdered, [number] homicide, mass murder, mass shooting, massacre, rampage, family killing, familicide, and arson murder. Offender, victim, and location names were also directly searched when available.

This project started at USA TODAY in 2012.

Contacts

Contact AP Data Editor Justin Myers with questions, suggestions or comments about this dataset at jmyers@ap.org. The Northeastern University researcher working with AP and USA TODAY is Professor James Alan Fox, who can be reached at j.fox@northeastern.edu or 617-416-4400.

In January 2024, the most usual type of crime reported in Mexico was domestic violence. In that month, the cases of this type of violence amounted to around 20,814 cases. Regarding property crimes, the highest number of occurrences were vehicle thefts, with nearly 11,887 reported crimes.

Domestic violence Domestic violence stands out as the crime with the highest incidence and, paradoxically, one of the least attended to by the government. Public spending allocated to combat domestic violence has been dismally low, with a value only around 25 percent of the spending on the military. Adding to the concern, this budget has witnessed a consistent decrease each year since 2015. This decline in resources has had severe consequences, leading to a surge in domestic violence crimes, with many resulting in homicides. It's noteworthy that the majority of registered femicides occur within the confines of closed domestic spaces and are often committed by the partners of the victims. This paints a concerning picture of the challenges faced in addressing and preventing domestic violence.

Mexico and the most violent cities in the world
Mexico hosts seven of the most dangerous cities globally, with Celaya ranking as the number one in terms of murder rate, registering a staggering 109.39 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants and the most of these other cities are concentrated in the upper region of the country, highlighting the significant regional variations in safety and security. On the other hand, the capital, Mexico City, has experienced a decreasing trend in crime incidence, with a notable decrease from 2018 to 2022, nonetheless, the crime rate is still high. As a result, crime and insecurity have become the primary concern for nearly half of the country's population, underscoring the pressing need for addressing these issues.

In 2023, the number of crimes committed in Singapore for every 100,000 individuals was 1,188. This was a ten-year high, and mostly due to the increase in scams and cybercrimes cases. Low crime rates in Singapore Singapore has a reputation for being one of the safest cities in the world. Violent crime in Singapore is rare – as of 2021, such crimes accounted for nine per 100 thousand population. One reason for this could be the harsh penalties for offenders, as well as a strict ban on weapons for those not in law enforcement. Singapore still carries out capital punishment for crimes such as murder and the illegal possession of firearms carry the death penalty. Increase in commercial crime The most common type of crime committed in Singapore were commercial crimes, especially scams. As Singaporeans carry out more aspects of everyday life online, so too are criminals looking to take advantage of unsuspecting victims. In 2021, scams involving e-commerce transactions were the most common of such crimes. These typically involve the fraudulent sale of products on C2C commercial sites, which are harder to track. Such scams, however, usually involve smaller amounts of money, unlike investment scams. These involve targeting individuals and tricking them into wiring large sums of money for supposed financial investments. In 2021, individuals in Singapore who fell victim to such scams were cheated out of around 191 million Singapore dollars.

In 2023, there were around *** million fraud crimes recorded in China. This made fraud the most common crime committed. The number of fraud crimes showed constant fluctuations in recent years, while theft crimes decreased considerably. Crime situation in China According to governmental statistics, the total number of crimes committed in China has decreased over the past years, amounting to **** million cases in 2022, the lowest number in the last ten years. However, the number of arrests of criminal suspects in China reached a high in 2019 with over **** million arrests, receding only recently due to the coronavirus pandemic. ************************* were the top three types of crimes in China. The country has a lower murder rate compared to many other countries in the world. City safety in China Generally speaking, the crime rate is associated with population density. In regions with higher population densities, there are also more theft and robbery crimes committed. Even though some Chinese cities have the highest population densities in the world, the crime rate of these regions are still low when compared to global rates. Cities in China are also widely covered with closed-circuit television cameras, which have contributed positively to the reduction of crimes as well as to the crime detection rate.

In the 2023/24 reporting year, West Yorkshire Police reported a crime rate of 121.7 crimes per 1,000 population, the highest crime rate among the provided police force areas whose territories include large cities. Greater Manchester Police reported a crime rate of 117.7 crimes per 1,000 population, and had the second-highest crime rate during this year.

In 2024, six of the eight Brazilian cities with the highest homicide rates were in the Northeast. Feira da Santana led the ranking of the most violent city in Brazil, with a murder rate of ***** per 100,000 inhabitants. It was followed followed by Recife, with a homicide rate of more than ** per 100,000 inhabitants. In Latin America and the Caribbean, Feira da Santana was the **** most deadly city.

In 2024, South Africa ranked first in the crime index among African countries, with a score of **** index points. Nigeria was the second most dangerous country on the continent, obtaining **** points. The index evaluates the overall crime levels in a specific country. Several African countries scored between ** and ** 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 ** 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 ************* in organized crime compared to its African counterparts. The continent's most prevalent organized criminal activity was **************************************. Moreover, from a regional perspective, Southern African countries had the lowest organized crime rate.

Just under eight thousand miscellaneous crime cases were reported in Singapore in 2021, marking a ten-year high in the number of such offenses recorded. Miscellaneous crimes in Singapore include offenses that would 'cause hurt by acts that endanger human life'. The city-state has a reputation for being one of the safest cities in the world and as of 2021, it ranks second in an index of the world's safest cities.

Decrease in physical and violent crimes in Singapore

Over previous years, Singapore saw the numbers of serious and violent property crime cases and theft-related crimes like shoplifting, robbery, and burglary, declining. In 2021, crime cases across the country had significantly declined compared to previous years. In 2021, there were almost *** thousand theft cases and *** property crime cases, which further declined to ** in 2022.

Increase in scams and digital crimes in Singapore

While physical and violent crime cases in 2021 declined in Singapore, digital crime cases grew significantly. On the one hand, technology has added value to the country’s economy. On the other hand, it had increased insecurities among Singaporeans as e-commerce scams and cybercrimes cases rose considerably over the years. In 2021, the rate of cybercrimes across the country was ** percent. In 2022, e-commerce scams surged from more than *** thousand to almost *** thousand.