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Venezuela
Venezuela has the highest crime index of any country in the world, at 83.76. The US Department of State has issued a Level 4 travel advisory for Venezuela, indicating that the country is unsafe to visit and that visitors should avoid going there. Venezuela’s high crime rates have been blamed on a variety of factors, including corrupt officials, a flawed judiciary system, and lax gun control.
Papua New Guinea
The crime index in Papua New Guinea is 80.79. Crime, particularly violent crime, is primarily fueled in Papua New Guinea by rapid social, economic, and political changes. Raskol gangs engage in small and large-scale criminal activity and are made up primarily of members with little education and few job opportunities. Corruption is a form of organised crime that is common in major cities and contributes significantly to the high crime rate. Furthermore, Papua New Guinea’s geography makes it appealing for drug and human trafficking.
South Africa (SA)
South Africa has the world’s third-highest crime rate. Assaults, rapes, homicides, and other violent crimes are particularly prevalent in South Africa. Several factors have been attributed to this, including high levels of poverty, inequality, unemployment, and social exclusion, as well as the normalisation of violence. South Africa has one of the world’s highest rape rates. More than one in every four men polled by the South African Medical Research Council admitted to rape.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan has the fourth-highest crime rate in the world. Corruption, assassinations/contract killings, drug trafficking, kidnapping, and money laundering are all prevalent. In 2020, Afghanistan supplied 85 percent of the world’s illicit opium. The Taliban, which retook control of the country in 2021, has promised to eradicate the opium trade, but it is such an important part of the country’s struggling economy that it will be difficult to do so. Widespread unemployment fuels many of the country’s crimes, including robbery and assault.
Honduras
Honduras ranks fifth in the world in terms of crime rate, with a crime index of 74.54. Honduras’ peak year for violent crime was 2012, when the country averaged about 20 homicides per day, most of which were carried out by gun-toting gangs like Barrio 18 or Mara Salvatrucha. Honduras is also regarded as a major drug transit country to the United States. Due to a lack of domestic law enforcement, the country has become an easy point of entry for the illegal drug trade. The US State Department has issued a Level 3 travel advisory for Honduras, advising travellers to reconsider visiting the country.