Singaporeans feel safer than residents of any other place in the world, putting the country on top of the Law and Order Index. PHOTO: ST FILE
For at least the fifth year running, Singaporeans feel safer than residents of any other place in the world, a global study has found.
Research firm Gallup says 94 percent of adults here feel safe walking alone at night, compared with the global average of 68 per cent.
Singapore tops the list in the Law and Order Index, ahead of Norway, Iceland and Finland. Hong Kong and Uzbekistan are joint fifth.
The result is consistent with other studies. The World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index 2017-2018 ranked Singapore first for order and security. Singapore was ranked the world’s safest city in the 2017 Global Smart City Performance Index published this year.
The 2018 Global Law and Order Report, released yesterday, interviewed close to 150,000 residents in 142 countries and areas last year.
Respondents were also asked about their confidence in the local police, and whether they had been recent victims of crimeMs Nicole Naurath, Gallup world poll regional director for Asia, said the result was no surprise as “Singapore emphasizes safety and security throughout all facets of society as a means to ensure its prosperity”.
Mr Toby Koh, group managing director of Ademco Security Group, said Singapore’s reputation for security is a key reason many global firms set up their headquarters here, adding that “safety and security is paramount to top management”.
He said that there are also personal considerations – employees bring their families along when they come to work here.
Meanwhile, Venezuela and Afghanistan were flagged for being the least secure countries.
Nearly one in four Venezuelans said they had been assaulted in the preceding 12 months, and 42 per cent reported having had property or money stolen in the same period.
War-torn Afghanistan reported a higher theft rate but also higher confidence in police and a lower rate of assault.