Singapore tops global safety ranking for 12th time in a row

SINGAPORE: Singapore has been named the safest country in the world yet again, as per Gallup’s 2024 Global Safety Report. An overwhelming 98% of residents surveyed said they felt safe walking alone at night, marking the 12th time Singapore has topped the global rankings since 2006.

The report highlighted that Singapore’s residents have consistently expressed high levels of confidence in public safety, with results hovering over 94% in the last five surveys that have taken place across almost two decades.

In Singapore, there is little difference between male and female respondents, with 98% of men and 97% of women saying they feel safe when walking alone at night.

Gallup attributed the country’s strong showing to its low crime rate, effective law enforcement, and sustained social order.

The latest survey studied safety levels in 144 countries and regions by polling 1,000 residents aged 15 and above in each location. Globally, 73% of adults reported feeling safe walking alone at night, marking the highest level since Gallup began tracking the issue in 2006.

Improvements were most felt in Asia Pacific, Western Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Sub-Saharan Africa. In Latin America and the Caribbean, half of the respondents said they felt safe walking at night, marking the first time the region reached this milestone.

Gaps, however, remain. South Africa recorded the lowest perceived safety, with only 33% of adults saying they felt safe walking alone at night.

Gender disparities were also pronounced worldwide: 78% of men said they felt safe, compared to just 67% of women. In more than 100 countries and regions, the gap exceeded 10 percentage points.

High-income countries such as the United States, Australia and several EU member states showed some of the widest gaps. In the U.S., for example, 71% of adults reported feeling safe overall, but the figure dropped to 58% for women, compared to a hefty 84% for men.

Gallup also noted the strong performance of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, with Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates all ranking in the top ten globally. In each of these countries, more than 90% of adults said they felt safe walking at night.