Mythbuster: U.S. Much Safer Than Many Peer Nations

RealClearPolitics ^ | 7/9/26 | John Lott

[EnderWiggin1970]

Conventional wisdom holds that the United States is the most violent and dangerous nation in the developed world. This dark view is frequently invoked by conservatives to demand stronger penalties for crimes and by progressives to argue for stronger gun laws.

At the same time, other nations point to crime as an Achilles heel of the American system. These include two peer nations with some of the most restrictive gun laws in the world – Australia and Canada. In 2025, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that “the U.S. generally sees higher violent crime rates than many other countries.” Last year, the Canadian Press similarly reported that “the number of police-reported violent crimes for every 100,000 people continue to be higher in the United States than in Canada.”

The data, however, undercuts this narrative. While the United States still leads in some categories, on the whole it has significantly less violent crime per capita than those two nations.

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TOPICS: Canada; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: cprc; crime; crimerate; criminal; johnlott

[EnderWiggin1970]

Some good stuff in the Comments section as well under this article; for example AngryFarmer points out:

Thomas Sowell once quipped that there are no solutions, there are only trade offs.

Does a 20% reduction in your chances of having your wallet stolen justify a 0.01% increase that you'll be murdered?

Depends on how you want to live, I suppose.

One can't help but notice that the vast majority of American murder victims are criminals themselves. About three-quarters of murder victims have criminal records.

That's why we have a few more murders and a lot fewer pick-pockets.

And before you start typing "B-b-but that doesn't mean they deserve to die!!!"

That's not what I'm saying. "Deserve" is irrelevant. If Jojo Fingers gets himself killed because he's a gang affiliate, he no longer exists to pick your pocket. Over his lifetime, Jojo may have picked 20 pockets a day - tens of thousands of "little" crimes, that will never happen because of one "big" crime.

That's why countries with relatively low homicide rates almost always have relatively high property crimes rates.

Trade offs.

Personally, I am happy with this arrangement.

And yes...I absolutely prioritize my property and the continued possession of stuff I've worked for over the lives of petty thieves.

[rktman]

“Peer” nations?

[Bubba_Leroy]

If you don’t count the democrat controlled cities, the U.S violent crime rate drops down to next to nothing.

[mikey_hates_everything]

Didn’t someone once say or write, “Give me liberty or give me death”?

I’d rather have liberty than the “safety” of so-called “peer nations” such as the UK, Canada or Australia.

[Texas Eagle]

Conventional wisdom holds that the United States is the most violent and dangerous nation in the developed world.

DemonicRAT and Fake News Media (but I repeat myself) hatred for America holds that the United States is the most violent and dangerous nation in the developed world.

There. Fixed it.

[Lowell1775]

From memory, do not count Democrat controlled cities or the black and Latino population, and our crime rate drops below that of every developed country...... except Iceland.

What does that say?

[PghBaldy]

First World nations, like us. Relatively wealthy, relatively civilized, relatively educated and technologically advaced etc.

[Theoria]

Odd thing to suggest.

If every country is allowed to exclude their large cities and ghettos their crime rates would drop as well.

We have better tools at killing people, same for saving lives. Hospitals are abound in the US.

[Ronaldus Magnus III]

If you don’t count the democrat controlled cities, the U.S violent crime rate drops down to next to nothing.

The democRAT/DemoKKKrat "solution" to less crime in certain cities is to scream for MORE CRIME in those cities.

It's a matter of "equity" don't ya know.

That's why the Drive-By Media will not report on the huuuuuge drop in murders, and many other crimes.

[rktman]

Yeah, still no. 😊👍🇺🇸

[WashingtonSource]

I had two cousins who were in the police force of a small North Carolina city of about 70,000 people. They used to say that if you didn’t count all the crimes committed by black people and/or other minorities, the town would have virtually no crime. In other words, the white population as a whole was law abiding with few criminals and few reported crimes.

[cpdiii]

I live in a small rural subdivision of about 400 people. It is very conservative, mostly white but with about 10 % minorities that are of equal financial status (it is not cheap here) and they fit into our little community perfectly. One of the minorities is my wife of 32 years.

The lots are big as in 3 to 7 acres. If one is lucky enough to have their lot backed up against the ranch you can have a gun range on your land as do I and 4 others, 6 if you want to count the ranch behind us. The sound of gunfire is common, mostly pistols but sometimes high powered rifles. Just before hunting season it is more common as hunters are sighting in their weapons. We hunt deer here also. My neighbor puts about 100 to 150 pounds of venison in his freezer every year. He hunts his land and on occasion my land. I just got tired of killing and do not hunt anymore. I have zero problems with ethical hunters. We despise those that are not. He shares the game he kills, it is delicious. The sound of the gunfire comforts me as bad guys understand. Virtually everyone is armed.

I know of only one major crime in my neighborhood. A couple were bound while their house was robbed. The circumstances of the crime stunk. I think it was an insurance fraud job. They were not hurt just bound. The home had many thousands of dollars of jewelry in it. The whole thing stunk. I may be wrong but think not.

We have had two deaths one accidental and another suicide. Both were minors of one of the few liberals in the neighborhood. I will not comment on this.

If you are in trouble, we in reality are 10 to 15 minutes at the best from help from the county sheriffs department. They can not be everyplace with a limited force. We all know we are really on our own. We thus are armed in our houses, in our vehicles, and often anyplace we go that such is legal. It is not a bad way to live in my neighborhood.

We are safe! We take care of each other in need.

If in trouble I would call my neighbor Shane first. He could be at my home in 3 minutes, and call the sheriffs department second as they are probably 15 minutes or more out. Shane’s skill with a pistol would make most jealous.

[Jeff Chandler]

Most violent crime is concentrated in specific areas.

[woodbutcher1963]

Which is why VT, NH and ME have the lowest crime rates in the country.
All three of the northern New England states are 90% or more White people.

Vt was the lowest crime rate except their murder rate per capita started increasing when the Somali immigrants got into the drug distribution in city of Burlington.
You see the Somali tribal gangs like to kill each other for the control of the drug distribution.
So much so it has squeed the per capita murder rate.
Mostly because the population of VT is so low.
Other than the fact that Burlington has become a drug infested shit hole commie utopia, it is generally a very safe state because it is 95 % CAUCASIAN.

Maine has also brought in the Somalis.
Which has added to the local crime.

Here in NH we don’t import the third world.
However, they do cross the border from MA to do our roofing and other labor intensive work.
They generally don’t live here because they can get more handouts as residents of the Commonwealth of MASSACHUSETTS.

FYI, a bank robber was just caught that robbed Saint Mary’s Bank a couple weeks ago in Nashua.
I was driving home from work when four Nashua cops passed me.
So the people of the Commonwealth are just robbing the banks that NH residents refuse to do.

[BFW]

Imagine it, crime lowered by getting rid of freeloading Criminal Illegal Alain Scum...........

[neverevergiveup]

I'd rather have liberty than the “safety” of so-called “peer nations” such as the UK, Canada or Australia.

Without question. Living without true freedom and the ability to define your own life is not living.

[libertylover]

“Peer” nations?

I noticed that fantasy as well.

And we don't have a gun problem; we have a behavior problem.

The 2nd Amendment protects the entire "free world".

[Celtic Conservative]

And if you eliminate suicides from firearms deaths, “gun crimes” drop by nearly two thirds.

CC

[Bob Wills is still the king]

“If you don’t count the democrat controlled cities, the U.S violent crime rate drops down to next to nothing.”
____________________________________________________________

That’s because the vast majority of people live in cities. If you don’t count the people in the cities, the US is a very sparsely occupied country.

AI Overview
“Based on the latest USAFacts analysis of Federal Bureau of Investigation data, the top ten states with the highest rates of overall crime—combining violent and property offenses per 100,000 residents—are generally led by the following:

Alaska: Ranks highest in the nation for violent crime (724.1 incidents per 100,000).
New Mexico: Has the highest property crime rate in the country (2,751.1 per 100,000) and the second-highest violent crime rate.
Louisiana: Tops national charts for murder rates and consistently ranks among the top overall dangerous states.
Tennessee: Features the third-highest violent crime rate.
Arkansas: Consistently ranks in the top five for violent crime rates (579.4 per 100,000).
Washington: Driven heavily by high rates of property and motor vehicle theft.
Colorado: Features the second-highest property crime rate in the US.
Nevada: Routinely ranks high due to urban crime concentrations in areas like Las Vegas.
South Carolina: Combines high rates of violent crime with elevated rural crash and property damage risks.
Oregon: Experiences high property crime, property damage, and severe weather losses.

Note: The District of Columbia also has a higher per-capita violent crime rate (1,005.5 per 100,000) than any individual state.”

[Organic Panic]

And many Latinos and ‘others’ are considered “white” to keep white crime stats higher.