Where Crime Is Seen as a Major Issue – And Where It Isn’t

A recent Statista Consumer Insights survey shows that worry about crime is on the minds of many residents of Latin American countries as well as those in South Africa, Sweden and Italy. While South Africa and parts of Latin America are known for their high levels of violent crime, Sweden recently experienced a rise in this sector due to gang and organized crime issues which have rocked the previously tranquil nation. While Italy’s crime rate was rated as moderate by the State Department, its history (and ongoing reality) of organized crime might have swayed some opinions.

Respondents from some of the world's biggest economies rated crime issues closer to the average of the 21 nations surveyed (which stood at 40.5 percent thinking it was a major issue). In Germany, 41 percent of respondents said that crime issues needed to be tackled urgently, the same as in France. In the United States and the United Kingdom, this share stood at 39 percent.

At the other end of the spectrum are five countries in Asia and Europe. China was the only nation among 21 where less than ten percent of respondents saw crime as a major issue. South Korea and Japan reported shares of 27 percent each, while only 23 percent of Poles and Swiss people said crime was a problem where they lived.