Highlights
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Countries with low rates of violence are considered the happiest in the world.
Safety matters more than we acknowledge. The happiest societies are overwhelmingly those where violence is rare.
Low crime is part of a larger system. It reflects trust, stability, institutional legitimacy, and effective policing.
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Article
As the senior specialist for crime prevention for the US Department of Justice’s Clearinghouse and as the former director of information services for the USDOJ-funded National Crime Prevention Council, I traveled the country courtesy of the federal government. These trips went to high-crime areas where the residents’ demeanor was routinely pessimistic.
These were cities that looked trashy with lots of graffiti, litter, and high rates of fear. My decades in the federal and state justice systems and university study convinced me that low crime was correlated with optimism, economic security, improved child test scores, and friendliness.
High-crime cities were the opposite.
Criminologists have been saying something similar for decades. Crime and fear of crime have a way of destroying cities. It literally affects everything.
What would happen to cities (or countries) if fear were greatly reduced? Would they discover prosperity and improved student test scores along with civic pride?
Is all of this tied to either crime or the perceptions of crime?
Gallup’s World Happiness Report-2026
Gallup’s latest World Happiness Report offers a simple but powerful question:
Where are people the happiest? The report variables (what’s measured) are complex; see the methodology. The report also examines social media use among younger people.
A review of the top ten countries suggests an equally important question for those of us covering crime and justice:
Are the happiest societies also the safest? The answer is largely yes—with one notable exception.
The Data: Happiness and Homicide
Using Gallup’s rankings and international homicide data, the relationship becomes clear:
| Country | Happiness Rank | Homicide Rate (per 100,000) | Crime/Safety Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finland | 1 | ~1.0–1.2 | Very low violence; high trust society |
| Iceland | 2 | ~0.5 | Among the lowest in the world, extremely safe |
| Denmark | 3 | ~0.8 | Low violent crime; minimal corruption |
| Costa Rica | 4 | ~17–18 | Higher than Europe; moderate regionally |
| Sweden | 5 | ~1.1 | Low overall, with localized increases |
| Norway | 6 | ~0.5–0.7 | Very low violence; strong institutions |
| Netherlands | 7 | ~0.67 | Among the lowest in Europe |
| Israel | 8 | ~1.5–2.0 | Moderate; domestic crime relatively contained |
| Luxembourg | 9 | ~0.6–0.8 | Very low; stable population |
| Switzerland | 10 | ~0.5 | Among the safest globally |
The United States
The US ranked 23rd out of 147 countries surveyed in 2026. The US was 17th in 2013.
Per Gallup, the United States has high rates of fear of crime, but there have been decreases during the last three years.
Another Gallup Survey
For the current four-question Law and Order Index in 2024, the US ranked 54th out of 144 countries. Eight countries had the same score as the US; thus, the United States had a de facto rank of 46.
The United States ranked 64th solely using “Do you feel safe walking alone at night in the city or area where you live?” Iraq, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Libya, Albania, and multiple other countries scored higher. Four countries had the same score as the US; thus, the United States had a de facto rank of 60.
A Clear Pattern: Low Violence, High Happiness
Eight of the ten countries—particularly the Nordic and Western European nations—share remarkably similar characteristics:
- Extremely low homicide rates (often below 1 per 100,000)
- High levels of social trust
- Stable economies
- Strong institutions and justice systems
These are not just “happy” places. They are among the least violent societies on earth.
For comparison, the United States typically records homicide rates several times higher.
Why This Matters
In criminology, homicide is the most reliable international measure of violence. Unlike other crimes, it is:
- Consistently reported
- Less affected by differences in legal definitions
- Less dependent on victim reporting
When homicide is rare, it usually signals something deeper:
- Effective governance
- Social cohesion
- Predictable and orderly public life
These same factors are central to how people evaluate their quality of life.
The Exception: Costa Rica
Costa Rica stands out.
Its homicide rate—roughly 17 to 18 per 100,000—is far higher than the rest of the top ten. Yet it ranks fourth in happiness.
This complicates the narrative. It suggests that:
- Strong family ties
- Cultural cohesion
- Social support
Can offset, to some degree, the negative effects of crime. Still, Costa Rica remains safer than many countries in its region, and it is the only clear outlier on the list.
Costa Rica is actively battling a surge in violent crime, largely driven by transnational drug trafficking, with record homicides in 2023. The government is implementing harsh and stricter measures, including the 2025 constitutional change permitting the extradition of its own citizens for trafficking-related offenses, and adopting a “24/7 raid” law to target criminal gangs, plus a commitment to new prisons.
A Special Case: Israel
Israel presents a different kind of exception.
While facing ongoing war and geopolitical conflict, its domestic crime rates remain moderate by global standards. This highlights an important distinction often missing from public discussions:
External conflict is not the same as internal crime. For daily life, citizens’ experiences with crime matter more than broader geopolitical risks when evaluating happiness.
What This Means for Crime in America
For those of us focused on crime and public perception, the implications are significant:
- Safety matters more than we acknowledge. The happiest societies are overwhelmingly those where violence is rare.
- Perception and reality can diverge. Even in very safe countries, people still worry about crime.
- Low crime is part of a larger system. It reflects trust, stability, institutional legitimacy, and effective policing.
Conclusions
With one notable exception, the world’s happiest countries are also among the least violent.
That does not mean eliminating crime guarantees happiness. But it strongly suggests the reverse: Societies where violence is rare, where people feel safe in their daily lives, are far more likely to report high levels of well-being.
In an era when fear of crime can exceed reality, the experience of these nations offers a straightforward lesson:
Safety isn’t everything, but it is foundational to every aspect of society.
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