The UK is generally considered safer than the US, with significantly lower rates of violent crime, particularly gun-related incidents. While the US has higher homicide and gun death rates, both countries have similar overall crime index scores. The UK’s safety advantage is primarily driven by stricter gun control laws and lower homicide rates.
UK: Violent crime rates are generally lower than in the U.S., especially when it comes to gun violence. The UK has strict gun control laws, resulting in far fewer firearm-related incidents. U.S.: The U.S. experiences higher rates of homicide and aggravated assault, largely due to the prevalence of firearms.
Iceland is consistently ranked as the safest country in the world, holding the top spot on the Global Peace Index (GPI) for many years, including 2024 and 2025, due to its low crime, lack of military, political stability, and strong community focus. Other top contenders often include Ireland, Austria, New Zealand, and Denmark, depending on the specific report's criteria, with Singapore also ranking highly for personal safety.
The lowest that the UK has ranked in the GPI was 60th, in 2008 when the index was founded. The 'safest' country this year was Iceland, which has retained the top spot since the index began.
Of the 188 countries assigned a ranking, Britain came 62nd. That just about puts us in the top third for crime. It's not ideal and higher than anyone living here would like, but compare us to the truly violent nations on Earth and a much more positive picture is painted.
According to statistics provided by NationMaster, the 'total crime' rate in France is a significant 73% less than that of the UK. However, the statistics fluctuate when focused on specific crimes.
The highest-ranking returns us to Leicestershire. Specifically, LE3, which applies to areas including Braunstone, Glenfield, and the popular, restaurant-packed Westcotes area, and is the most dangerous UK postcode going by the number of reported violent crimes.
There is increased risk of U.S. citizens being the victim of violent or organized crime. Should a crime a occur, local law enforcement may not be able to help. Specific terrorist threats exist, or attacks have recently occurred. U.S. citizens or the spaces foreigners visit may be the target of an attack.
Iceland is consistently ranked as the safest country in the world, holding the top spot on the Global Peace Index (GPI) for many years, including 2024 and 2025, due to its low crime, lack of military, political stability, and strong community focus. Other top contenders often include Ireland, Austria, New Zealand, and Denmark, depending on the specific report's criteria, with Singapore also ranking highly for personal safety.
The 2024 GPI indicates Iceland, Ireland, Austria, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, Portugal, Denmark, Slovenia, Malaysia and Canada to be the most peaceful countries, while Yemen, Sudan, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Congo, Russia, Syria, Israel and Mali to be the least peaceful.
Iceland remains the most peaceful country in 2022, a position it has held since 2008. It is joined at the top of the index by New Zealand, Ireland, Denmark and Austria.
In 2023, the rate of police-reported violent crime continued to be lower in Canada than the United States (252 incidents per 100,000 population versus 334 incidents), though the gap between the two countries has narrowed over the last 25 years.
Brits are leaving the UK due to a combination of factors, primarily driven by young professionals seeking better economic prospects, a higher quality of life, and lower living costs, with destinations like the UAE, Australia, and the US offering higher salaries (often tax-free), better work-life balance, and warmer climates, contrasting with the UK's rising cost of living, stagnant wages, housing crises, and tax burdens.
If you are looking for the safest places to live in the UK right now, recent crime-index data points you towards elegant market and cathedral cities such as Harrogate, Wokingham, Chester, Sevenoaks and Horsham, along with low-crime areas like St Albans, Salisbury, Windsor, Guildford, Lincoln, Norwich and Bath.
The number of individuals killed by firearms in England and Wales has been consistent over the last ten years, according to police recorded crime figures, with an average of 28 fatalities a year. There were 24 fatalities in 2023-2024, a slight decline on 27 in 2022-2023.
The latest World Citizenship Report has cast a spotlight on global safety concerns, revealing that the United States of America ranks 64th in the newly launched 2025 Global Safety Index.
Worldwide, 70% of people feel safe walking alone at night where they live. The U.S. figure of 72% is about 24th out of the 38 other wealthy OECD countries that Gallup tracked this year, Ray said. And it's similar to Canada, France and Germany.
Whether America is a "good" place to live is subjective, offering strong points like high average incomes, diverse cultures, vast opportunities for career/education, and high-quality infrastructure (roads, internet) but also significant downsides, including high costs for healthcare, education, and housing, wealth disparity, and concerns over crime/safety, making it great for those who can afford it but challenging for many others.
Iceland is consistently ranked as the safest country in the world, holding the top spot on the Global Peace Index (GPI) for many years, including 2024 and 2025, due to its low crime, lack of military, political stability, and strong community focus. Other top contenders often include Ireland, Austria, New Zealand, and Denmark, depending on the specific report's criteria, with Singapore also ranking highly for personal safety.
London. The capital remains the city with most stabbings UK authorities have recorded, and by a wide margin. With 188 knife crimes per 100,000 people, London continues to face significant challenges despite major police initiatives.
The most expensive postcode in the UK is W1B, which covers areas from Piccadilly Circus up Regent Street towards Regent's Park. According to analysis by Jefferies James of Land Registry data released in March 2025, the average property in this postcode costs an extraordinary £4.375 million.
There isn't one single "roughest" city, as rankings vary by data source and crime type, but Blackpool, Middlesbrough, Manchester, Bradford, and London boroughs like Westminster consistently appear high for overall crime or violent crime rates per capita in recent data (2024-2025), with issues like theft, assault, and antisocial behavior prevalent. Other cities frequently cited include Coventry, Liverpool, and Nottingham, often due to specific issues like knife crime or violent offenses.
