Where are you most likely to be murdered?
A Brazilian think tank has released a new map of the world showing where people are most likely to be murdered.
According to the latest ‘Homicide Monitor’ from the Igarapé Institute, Latin America can lay claim to being the most deadly place on earth, with 14 of the world’s most ‘homicidal countries'.
Honduras tops the list with a murder rate of 85.5 per 100,000 people, followed closely by Venezuela and the US Virgin Islands.
The 3D map, which is based on the most recently available data from 2012, shows almost 437,000 people die violently around the world each year.
It also provides information about weapons, age and gender, with men making up 75 per cent of the victims.
While the map is enough to make many people lock their doors, it isn’t actually all bad news.
The study has proved to be a powerful tool for local governments in addressing crime and preventing and reducing violence.
“Until quite recently, many governments were reluctant to publicise information on murder for fear of negatively affecting their country’s reputation, tourism and investment flows,” the Igarapé Institute explains on their website.
“Fortunately, attitudes are changing and there is growing openness and transparency about the scale and distribution of homicidal violence.”
“The Homicide Monitor brings together all publicly available information on homicide into a single interface and is intended to help policy makers, journalists, scholars and activists identify problem areas and possible solutions.”
Some of Latin America’s most dangerous cities, including Rio de Janeiro, Medellín and Bogata, have seen their homicide rates drop by more than 60 per cent over the past two decades.
Australia rates as one of the safest nations in the world, with only 1.1 homicides per 100, 000 people in 2012.
The countries with the lowest murder rates are Singapore, Liechtenstein and Monaco.
Morning news break – May 13
