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Reed Hall

Dr. Cassel

ENGL 101

25 July, 2021

What Are Some of The Safest Countries in The World and Why?

Countries around the world take personal measures in order to create a safe living

environment for their citizens. Many fail to do so, while others focus on specific details keeping

their citizens and tourists safe. Many factors are referenced when deciding what countries tend to

be the safest, and for their reasons. These stats and variables change yearly based on each

country, and affect how safe these countries can be in terms of year-round living and travel.

Every country has specific control over certain problems and safety precautions that play a role

in their citizens' well-being. Although, numerous uncontrollable variables will alter the overall

safety of each country. These uncontrollable variables consist of geography, bordering countries,

and risk of natural disasters. When the controllable variables are more directed towards the crime

rates, the government in power, and each country's foreign affairs. Iceland, Japan, and Canada

are some of the safest countries in the world due to their control of the crime rate, ruling

government, and their foreign affairs since the 2000’s.

Each of these countries have implemented different ways to keep crime lower than

others, keep peace within their government and people, and to maintain beneficial relationships

with neighboring countries, all with the main goal of safety as the end result. Different countries

have their own ways that they have conformed and reconstructed their societal norms to keep

their citizens safe. Having influential and reliable policing forces is a common way that all three

of these countries have found to be the biggest factor in lower crime rates throughout the
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country. All of them follow a parliamentary system in their government that allows their

government to work for the people and create laws that are going to benefit their citizens before

the government itself. These countries are some of the safest in the world because of their

positive relationships with surrounding nations, through trade, war, and international threats, and

have found peace and balance between them all. When comparing the three together there are

many more similarities than differences in the way that these countries are ultimately run,

creating an overall sense of safety and control that is equally valued.

Iceland has held the other countries to a higher standard when it comes to safety, by

being named “the most peaceful country in the world”, since 2008 (The Institute for Economics

and Peace). Crime in Iceland is one of the main proponents of safety that is most valued within

this country, pertaining to some of the lowest numbers and rates over the past decade. In 2016,

Iceland’s crime rate was at an unbelievable low; “.30 per 100,000 people” (Macrotrends). This

was one of the lowest numbers recorded in Iceland since around the 1990’s, when the data had

started to be pulled on crime rates and crime in Iceland, these stats quickly became public

knowledge. Crime rate is calculated by taking the number of crimes in the year, divided by the

total population of the country. Once that is done, that very small decimal is multiplied by

100,000 to get the crime rate per 100,000 people. This is how crime rates have been determined

worldwide for years, and the only way that a true proportional crime rate in any country can be

calculated. Iceland’s policing system is a very understaffed, but influential force that keeps the

country in check. With there being only around “700 active duty and reserve police officers”

most of them being unarmed, crime is somehow never a worry in this country (Bureau of

Diplomatic Security). The overall happiness of Icelanders and the higher standard of living in

this small country play a huge role in the social standards of general crime, making Iceland one
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of the most crime-free countries in the world. Iceland's leadership and government is another

reason why the country is so safe. Having a parliamentary republic, all laws are passed by a

majority vote of the legislature, and prime ministers are selected through a vote of the members

of the government. The government of Iceland prioritizes the rights of every human and the

security of citizens before the law, meaning that civil liberties and freedom is valued over

everything else in Iceland. Article 3 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights says that

“everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of person” which is very similar to the United

States first amendment (Government of Iceland). This form of government is based on more of

the higher government official’s ideas and beliefs but takes the citizens of Iceland into account

before any law is thought of or put into action. The government's focus on safety and prosperity

in Iceland is extremely beneficial to the citizens and the overall safety of Iceland is a direct

correlation to that. With this country being on a remote island, in the North Atlantic Ocean, there

is a mass amount of trade for valuable resources within the country. This has helped Iceland

create alliances with close countries, and kept them out of many disputes with their neighbors.

Iceland has made numerous free trade agreements with other countries to allow them to keep the

competitiveness of Iceland’s trades on an even playing field. With Iceland being a part of the

Nordic Region, closest to both Denmark and Norway, these two other countries are also

considered safe and obtain very similar societal values as Iceland. With little to no threats in

Iceland, the lack of borders shared with other countries, and many positive trade relations with

other countries, Iceland’s international relationships create a safe space from outside threats.

The country of Japan is similar to Iceland when it comes to the value of safety within the

country by implementing the needed measures to lower the crime rate. With Japan being the

bigger of the three countries, their crime rate proves how safe this country truly is and
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exemplifies the odds of being in a dangerous situation when visiting. In “2008” the crime rate of

Japan was nearly twice the number it is now, at around “.51” then but since then has decreased

tremendously (Macrotrends).With a crime rate of “.24 in 2017” Japan has been able to maintain

extremely low crime rates over the past decade with the rate never exceeding .55 (Macrotrends).

Japan’s current population as of 2021 is “126,067,077” which is nearly 350 times the population

of Iceland (Worldometer). This gives Japan a much larger and more intensive task to face when

it comes to the total number of crimes. With a population that extensive, every .01 percent of

crime per 100,000 people is multiple crimes per year that are being added or subtracted. Japan

has taken many different steps in the right direction to keep its crime rate either stagnant or

decreasing over the past decade. Japanese police are the main reason why the country is as safe

as it is. With its importance to the country and the people of Japan, it is one of the biggest and

most reliable forces in the world.

Fig. 1 A study done in Japan showing the numbers of violent crimes that are recorded by the

police each year are slowly decreasing and becoming less likely to be recorded (“Total Number

of Violent Offenses and Respective Clearances Recorded by The Police in Japan From 2014 to

2020”).
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Japan has a separate voluntary force as well, that brings communities and community members

together to help prevent crime. In 2019” there [were] approximately 46,000” groups, not

associated with the Japanese police, that engaged in crime prevention activities (National Police

Agency). These groups are formed in order to serve and help the police of Japan and to also

enforce the mentality that has been implemented everywhere in Japan to be law-abiding citizens.

Crime is something that is looked down upon in Japan, no crimes big or small are ever not taken

care of. The police and other groups that help enforce safety take their responsibilities very

seriously, which spreads throughout the country and trickles down to everyone’s mentality.

Japan’s government circulates around the fact that “the principle of sovereignty and the stated

aim of maintaining Japan as a peaceful and democratic country in perpetuity” (Masai). Another

important part of the Japanese government is “The emperor, rather than being the embodiment of

all sovereign authority, is the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people, while sovereign

power rests with the people” and although there is an emperor of Japan, he honors the

sovereignty of the people of Japan exactly how the government was created to be (Masai). The

emperor is the ruler of the land, but with the power he holds it is never abused. In modern times

the emperor's major roles are to appoint Prime Ministers, the chief of justice, to propose and

make new laws within the country, and to navigate the foreign affairs of Japan. The government

of Japan is broken into ‘47 prefectures” acting as local governments around Japan (Masai). This

is where there is a less powerful government giving power and rights to the people of these

prefectures. All Japanese citizens are granted civil liberties and the right to their own thoughts

and beliefs. There is no overpowering form of government that affects how the people are able to

live their lives and alter one’s path they choose to take. The more local governments work to

keep the people safe and to protect their citizens of their specified prefecture with each one being
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separate but equal. Japan, being close to North Korea, has to be very cautious about security in

their country. With constant threats from Kim Jung Un, the Japanese emperor has had to make

many efforts in order to keep his land safe. The emperor has tried to “share universal values” and

other “strategic interests” with the Republic of Korea in order to gain likeness and deter possible

attacks on his country. With the thought of North Korea always being a problem there are many

precautionary measures that Japan has to take, but with no recent attacks and a good relationship

with the dictator, there is no worry in the foreseeable future of Japan.

Canada’s crime rate is much higher than the other two countries, but has made great steps

in the right direction to lower it over the past decade. With many new laws and additions to

policing tactics in Canada, the crime issue of the 90’s slowly started to see a change of direction

going into the 2000’s. With a crime rate of “1.68 in 2016” the country has been able to bring

their rate down 1.02 per 100,000 since 1991 when it was at “2.70” (Macrotrends). Although this

might seem like very little progress, areas like drug-related crimes are likely to fall a large

amount due to the new legalization of Marijuana in this country. Property crime in Canada has

always been a problem as well, but over the past two decades the rates [have been] dropping 39

percent” and at a steady pace to continue (Statista Research Department). The government plays

a large role in the trends of these crime rates falling. Many laws have been implemented in order

to decrease crime and strengthen the safety of Canada. The Communities at Risk: Structures

Infrastructure Program is a program that has “provided more than $11.2 million in funding to

over 383 projects across Canada” causing the crime rate to start its downward trend again (Public

Safety Canada). Another law that has been implemented to lower the crime rate in Canada

through the Initiative to Take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence. This government action

has funded “$327.6 million over five years to help support a variety of initiatives to reduce gun
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crime and criminal gang activities” starting at only “$1.5 million over three years” but the

importance of this act was quickly noticed and more funding was added (Public Safety Canada).

The Canadian government has been working diligently on projects in order to increase safety

over the past decade. With a multitude of different fundings, laws, and new acts, this country is

starting to see crime decrease and public safety rise due to their recent actions. With Canada’s

only neighbor being the United States, they do not have any direct threats connected to their

borders. Canada and the US have been allies for a while and have many deals together to ensure

National Security in North America. The Canada-United States Agreement on Emergency

Management Cooperation, is an agreement that promises the other country to give some support

if there were to ever be any natural disasters or man-made disasters in one of the countries. Being

allied with the United States, Canada has a sense of support in all of their foreign affairs,

guaranteeing backup and safety in all emergency scenarios.

Iceland, Japan, and Canada are some of the safest countries due to the crime and threat

prevention programs that have been implemented over the years, such as, the government’s aid

to their citizens, and each countries’ allies and treaties made. These countries make annual

changes in order to strengthen their safety in order to provide the best possible living

environment for their citizens. With every aspect of citizen prosperity in mind, each country has

made it their main goal to give the maximum amount of protection to their people. With crime

rates being low and on the verge of being lower, these countries have taken action to grant safety

to their citizens. Safety is defined as, “the condition of being safe from undergoing or causing

hurt, injury, or loss” meaning that the country granting the most safety would be the country with

the lowest crime rate. Japan, being the most populated of these three, and having the lowest

average crime rate from 2008-2018, is ultimately the safest of these three countries in terms of
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citizen well-being. With Japan’s emperor making treaties with the right countries, and the Prime

Ministers doing everything in their power to serve the people, Japan reigns as the safest country

in the world.

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Works Cited

“Canada Crime Rate & Statistics 1990-2021”. Macrotrends,

https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/CAN/canada/crime-rate-statistics

Accessed: 25 July 2021

“Crime in Canada - Statistics & Facts”. Statistica. Statistica Research Department, 6 July

2021 https://www.statista.com/topics/2814/crime-in-canada/

Accessed: 25 July 2021

“Government of Canada moving forward with 150 projects to protect against hate-

motivated crimes”. Government of Canada. Public Safety Of Canada, 21 July 2021

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-safety-canada/news/2021/07/government-of-canada-

moving-forward-with-150-projects-to-protect-against-hate-motivated-crimes.html

Accessed: 25 July 2021

“Government of Canada provides support to combat gun and gang violence in Prince

Edward Island”. Government of Canada. Public Safety Canada, 15 April 2021,

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-safety-canada/news/2021/04/government-of-canada-

provides-support-to-combat-gun-and-gang-violence-in-prince-edward-island.html

Accessed: 25 July 2021

“Iceland Crime Rate & Statistics 1994-2021”. Macrotrends,

https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/ISL/iceland/crime-rate-statistics

Accessed: 21 July 2021

“Iceland 2020 Crime & Safety Report”. OSAC, 7 August 2020,

https://www.osac.gov/Content/Report/1212e167-4d1e-47b6-9974-195ba55f2c43

Accessed: 21 July 2021

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“Japan Crime Rate & Statistics 1990-2021”. Macrotrends,

https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/JPN/japan/crime-rate-statistics

Accessed: 22 July 2021

“Japan Population (live)”. Worldometer, 2021, https://www.worldometers.info/world-

population/japan-population/ Accessed: 22 July 2021

“Japan’s Security Policy”. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, 6 April 2016,

https://www.mofa.go.jp/fp/nsp/page1we_000081.html

Accessed: 22 July 2021

Notehelfer, Fred. “Japan”. Britannica, 22 July 2021,

https://www.britannica.com/place/Japan/Government-and-society

Accessed: 22 July 2021

“Police of Japan”. National Police Agency,

https://www.npa.go.jp/english/Police_of_Japan/2020/poj2020_full.pdf

Accessed: 22 July 2021

“Public Safety and Security”. Government of Iceland, https://www.government.is/topics/public-

safety-and-security/ Accessed: 21 July 2021

“Safety”. Merriam Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/safety

Accessed: 25 July 2021

“Total Number of Violent Offenses and Respective Clearances Recorded by The Police

in Japan From 2014 to 2020”. Statista Research Department, 10 May 2021,

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1049715/japan-number-violent-offenses-and-

clearances/ Accessed: 29 July 2021

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“Vision Of Humanity: Global Peace Index”. The Institute for Economics and Peace,

2021, https://www.visionofhumanity.org/maps/#/

Accessed: 21 July 2021