ABSTRACT
This chapter presents rankings on crime based on the resources of INTERPOL, which is the only organization engaged in the collection of international crime statistics. INTERPOL statistics present two very useful indicators: reported criminal offenses per 10,000 and the criminal ratio, which is essentially a measure of the criminal component of the population. The strengths of police departments in cities and departments in municipalities vary according to the nature of criminal activities they encounter. The size of the prison population is a reliable law prison enforcement index. The United States has been leading this ranking ever since data have been kept in the major countries. Many of the prisoners tend to be recidivists who have a history of criminal activities. The number of first-time offenders is related to the size of the youth population of the country.
