This may seem hard to believe, but statistics indicate that now is one of the safest times to be alive. According to the latest report from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), murder rates in India are at their lowest since data tracking began in 1957. In 1957, the murder rate was 2.57 per lakh population, while by 2023, it has decreased to 2.25 per lakh.
The murder rate rose steadily from 1957, peaking in the 1990s before beginning a consistent decline. It fell below 4 in 2001 and dropped to below 3 in 2013. Among larger states with over 1,000 reported cases of murder and culpable homicide, Jharkhand has the highest rate at 3.8 per lakh. Following Jharkhand are Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Odisha, and Telangana, each reporting rates of 3 or higher.
Internationally, the murder rate landscape is similar. Japan ranks as the safest country worldwide, with the latest World Bank data showing a murder rate of just 0.3 per lakh in 2020, the most recent year for which comparable data is available. In contrast, South Africa is labeled as the most dangerous country in the same context.
