Determining the single "highest crime rate" city for 2023 depends on the type of crime measured (homicides vs. overall) and region, but Durán, Ecuador, often tops homicide rate lists (around 148 per 100k), while cities in South Africa and Latin America, like Colima, Mexico, and Tijuana, Mexico, also consistently rank high for violence, though statistics vary by source and year, with Alice Springs, Australia appearing high for general crime rates in some reports.
1. Which city in Australia has the highest crime rate? Rockhampton has the highest crime rate in Australia, with 132 per 1000 people. Some of the sources have also pointed to Alice Springs as the city with the highest crime rate.
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Crime levels
Australia reported 46.01 crimes per 100,000 citizens. Australia is ranked 69th out of 164 countries when it comes to crime in general while Canada did better with only 39.03 crimes per 100,000 and ranking 80th.
Canberra, the capital city of Australia, is considered the safest city. According to Numbeo, its safety index is 73.6, which is higher than other cities in Australia. It also ranked as the 49th safest city in global rankings.
Homicide rate: Australia's homicide rate hovers around 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to the U.S. rate of approximately 6 per 100,000. Property crime: Both countries experience property crime, but Australia's rates are generally lower, and violent property crimes (like armed burglary) are less common.
Crime rate by country 2025: 10 countries with the highest crime...
There are many safe cities in the U.S. Large cities like Irvine, CA and Virginia Beach, VA rank among the lowest (83.97 and 92.28 per 100,000, respectively). Other sizable cities, such as Gilbert, AZ, Plano, TX and Honolulu, HI also report crime rates well below the national average of 361 per 100,000.
The safest countries in the world are Iceland, Ireland, New Zealand, Austria, Switzerland, Singapore, Portugal, Denmark, Slovenia, and Finland, according to the 2025 Global Peace Index (GPI).
Mungallala Methodist Church was built in 1964. It has now closed. In 2016, the Australian Taxation Office listed Mungallala as having the lowest mean taxable income by postcode, making it the poorest town in Australia, which led the ABC to do a documentary on the town for their online "storyhunters" program.
According to the latest National Homicide Monitoring Program report (July 2024 – June 2025), Australia saw a total of 277 homicides. Queensland had the highest number, with 111 victims, and Victoria wasn't far behind with 88 victims.
Australia is a safe and secure country, and Sydney and Melbourne are two examples of this. The Economist Intelligence Unit's Safe Cities Index (SCI) can be used to measure a city's safety. In 2021 (the most recent report), the SCI ranked Sydney as the fourth safest city and Melbourne as the eighth safest in the world.
1. Memphis. Memphis has one of the highest crime rates in the country at 2,437 per 100,000 people, with assault leading the list. The city has addressed these issues through targeted policing and community engagement initiatives.
WASHINGTON – Wallethub has released its 2025 list of the safest states in the U.S., placing Vermont, Massachusetts and New Hampshire at the top of the list. Maine and Utah were the fourth and fifth safest states. The least safe states were Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Florida and Arkansas.
Iceland remains the most peaceful country in the world in 2021, a position it has held since 2008. It is joined at the top of the index by New Zealand, Denmark, Portugal, and Slovenia.
Australia has been a perennial top ten inhabitant of the safest countries ratings since it launched seven years ago – and in 2026, we're holding strong in second place.
Iceland is consistently ranked as the #1 safest country in the world by the Global Peace Index (GPI), a position it has held for over a decade due to extremely low crime, no standing army, high social cohesion, and minimal conflict, though some other reports might place Switzerland or the Netherlands first based on different survey criteria.
Canberra is officially Australia's #1 safest city, with a crime index rating of 26 out of 100. That places it as the 49th safest city in the world. This ranking comes from Compare the Market Australia, which analysed 6 years of public data from Numbeo's crime index.
New global safety findings highlight Australia's strong healthcare system, low crime levels, political stability, and high quality of life. From thriving cities to secure regional communities, the country continues to be recognised as one of the world's most reliable and secure places to live, work, and travel.
Life in Australia is generally considered very good, with a high standard of living, excellent healthcare and education, strong job markets, and a great outdoor lifestyle, though high housing costs and geographic isolation can be downsides, making "better" a subjective mix of these factors depending on individual priorities.