Rwanda the safest place in the world – Gallup

A new 2012 Gallup research paper has found Rwanda to be the safest place on the planet – at least in the minds of its residents.

In the ‘Law and Order’ section of a detailed report tackling everything from Corruption, Institutions and Infrastructure to Food and Shelter, Gallup ranked ahead of more economically-powerful nations such as Singapore and Qatar, finding that an impressive 92% of residents questioned feel safe and protected in the country.

Gallup conducted research to gauge the people’s sense of personal security in their neighborhoods and their personal experiences with crime and law enforcement, asking questions such as “In the city where you live, do you have confidence in the local police force?” and “Do you feel safe walking alone at night in the city or area where you live?”

Rwanda is closely followed by the aforementioned Qatar (91%), Georgia (91%) and Singapore (89%), but nonetheless holds the mantle of most secure for now.

On the flip-side, countries such as Afghanistan (29%), Chad (30%) and Venezuela (34%) inspire little confidence in their populace security-wise.

Rwanda also scored favorable ranking in the anti-corruption department, with a minor 12% feeling corruption is widespread in government, bested only by Singapore at 5%. For perspective, countries such as Swaziland and EAC neighbor Kenya both ranked in the 90%-plus range in perception of corruption being widespread in government.

Gallup is a world-renowned organization based in New York, and specializes in providing strategic consulting and advisory services to governments around the world.