Gallup's Law and Order Index is a worldwide measure that reveals how safe--or insecure--people feel in their neighborhood and how confident they are in their local police.
People in 135 countries were asked four questions:
- In the city or area where you live, do you have confidence in the local police force?
- Do you feel safe walking alone at night in the city or area where you live?
- Within the last 12 months, have you had money or property stolen from you or another household member?
- Within the past 12 months, have you been assaulted or mugged?
Scores worldwide ranged from a high of 97 in Singapore to a low of 42 in Venezuela. “In 2016, as Venezuela spiraled into disorder, just 12% of residents said they felt safe walking alone at night where they live and 14% expressed confidence in their police”, stated the report, which was released on 2 August.
People in Latin America and the Caribbean are the least likely among all global regions to feel secure in their communities. The region scored a 64 on Gallup’s Law and Order Index--unchanged from its score in 2015. Residents of the US and Canada, Southeast Asia, East Asia and Western Europe are the most likely to feel secure, with index scores of 84 or higher.
Luxembourg placed 11th in the ranking with a score of 88, while neighbouring Germany scored 87. Belgium has a score of 82, and France reached only a score of 80.
