Crime Rate by Country 2026

Crime levels vary widely across countries based on perceived safety and organized criminal activity. The 2025 numbers (the most recent data available as of early 2026) tell the story, captured by Numbeo Crime and Safety Index scores and the Global Organized Crime Index.

Countries with the Highest Crime Index (Numbeo 2025)

1. Venezuela

Venezuela has a crime index of 80.7, the highest of any country in the world. The U.S. Department of State has issued a Level 4 travel advisory for Venezuela, indicating that it is unsafe to travel to the country. Venezuela’s high crime rates have been attributed to causes that include government corruption, a flawed judiciary system, and the breakdown of the Rule of Law.

2. Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea has a crime index of 80.3. In Papua New Guinea, crime, especially violent crime, is primarily fueled by rapid social, economic, and political changes. Raskol gangs engage in small and large-scale criminal activity and consist mainly of members with little education and few employment opportunities. Organized crime in the form of corruption is also common in major cities and largely contributes to the high crime rate. Additionally, the geography of Papua New Guinea makes it appealing for drug and human trafficking.

3. Haiti

Haiti’s ongoing political instability has allowed gang violence to flourish, with roughly 150-200 gangs nationwide and armed groups controlling as much as 85-90% of the capital, Port-au-Prince. In the first half of 2025 alone, the country saw at least 6,000 cases of gender-based violence, 50% more than in the previous year. Firearms and drug trafficking, particularly from the United States and the Dominican Republic, fuel much of the violence. Gangs have taken control of key infrastructure, including ports and fuel terminals, further destabilizing the country. Haiti’s weak border control and insufficient policing have made it a major hub for transnational drug smuggling, particularly for cocaine and cannabis​.

4. Afghanistan

Afghanistan places fourth on the Numbeo Crime Index. Crime is present in various forms, including corruption, assassinations/contract killings, drug trafficking, kidnapping, and money laundering. Despite the drug ban of 2022, Afghanistan produced 433 tons of opium in 2024. The Taliban, which regained control of the country in 2021, pledged to stamp out the opium industry, but it is such a vital part of the country’s struggling economy that it proved difficult to eliminate. Widespread unemployment adds fuel for many of the country’s crimes, such as robbery and assault.

5. South Africa

South Africa is fifth on the Numbeo Crime Index. South Africa has a notably high rate of assaults, rape, homicides, and other violent crimes. This has been attributed to several factors, including high levels of poverty, inequality, unemployment, social exclusion, and the normalization of violence. South Africa has one of the highest rape rates in the world. More than 1 in 4 men surveyed by the South African Medical Research Council admitted to committing rape.

6. Honduras

With a crime index of 72.0, Honduras ranks sixth in the world in terms of crime. Honduras’s peak of violent crime occurred in 2012, when the country experienced about 20 homicides per day, typically carried out by gun-toting gangs such as Barrio 18 or Mara Salvatrucha. Honduras is also considered to be a major drug route to the United States. Weak domestic law enforcement has made the country an easy point of entry for the illegal drug trade. The U.S. Department of State has issued a Level 3 travel advisory for Honduras, indicating that travelers should reconsider visiting the country.

7. Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago has the seventh-highest crime index at 70.8 on the Numbeo Crime Index. Trinidad and Tobago’s government faces several challenges in its effort to reduce crime, such as bureaucratic resistance to change, the destructive influence of gangs, drugs, economic recession, and an overburdened legal system. There is a great demand for illegal weapons as well, which drug trafficking and gang-related activities fuel. Trinidad and Tobago has a Level 3 travel advisory, meaning that travelers should reconsider travel. Visitors are typically victims of pickpocketing, assault, theft, and fraud.

8. Syria

Years of conflict have weakened state control in Syria, allowing organized crime to spread across much of the country. Syria has been a major hub for the production and trafficking of Captagon, an amphetamine drug that has generated revenue for powerful criminal networks, though recent crackdowns have disrupted some large-scale operations. Human trafficking, arms smuggling, and extortion remain common, while economic collapse has fueled widespread smuggling of counterfeit goods and tobacco across the country’s porous borders.

9. Jamaica

Jamaica has a Numbeo Crime Index of 67.4, placing it among the countries with the highest crime levels in the 2025 dataset. Violent crime remains a major concern, particularly in urban areas such as Kingston, where gang activity and firearm-related offenses are prevalent. Organized criminal groups are heavily involved in drug trafficking and extortion, contributing to persistent insecurity. While popular tourist areas are generally better policed, visitors can still be targets of robbery and assault, especially outside resort zones.

10. Peru

Rounding up the list with a Numbeo Crime Index of 67.1, Peru is one of the largest cocaine producers globally. Organized crime in Peru is heavily influenced by this trade, making it rank among the top in Latin America. The country sees significant activity from drug trafficking organizations, particularly in coca-growing regions like the VRAEM (Valley of the Apurímac, Ene, and Mantaro rivers), where violence and criminality are rampant. Gangs such as Tren de Aragua are involved in extortion, drug trafficking, and contract killings, especially in urban areas like Lima.