Where Confidence in the Police Is Highest & Lowest

The riots in Paris appear to be easing following five days of heightened tensions, sparked by the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk by police last Tuesday morning. With the issue of police brutality once again under the spotlight, the following chart looks at where confidence in police is highest and lowest around the world, based on indicators such as poor response times, heavy-handed arrests and the use of force in questionable circumstances.

But how does confidence in law enforcement in France compare to the rest of the world? Gallup recently released its Law & Order Index, which is a composite score based on reported confidence in the police, feelings of personal security and incidences of theft or mugging in different countries over the past year. Gallup found that France had a score of 85 out of 100, putting it on the same confidence level as the Philippines, Hong Kong, Croatia and Slovakia as well as slightly above the global average of 71.

Singapore had the highest level of confidence in law and order in this edition of the index with a score of 96, followed by the autocratic nation of Tajikistan at 95. The lowest confidence levels were seen in Afghanistan, unsurprising considering ongoing violence in the country. Gabon, Venezuela, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sierra Leone also found themselves at the bottom of the law and order confidence rankings.

China was not included in the 122 countries in the report. In 2019, it had received the third best result with 94 out of 100.