WORLD - Crime Rate Down?
The overall crime rate in the United States is 47.70. The violent crime rate in the United States has decreased sharply over the past 25 years. Crimes rates vary significantly between the states, with states with such as Alaska, New Mexico, and Tennessee experiencing much higher crime rates than states such as Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Some of the world’s lowest crime rates are seen in Switzerland, Denmark,Norway, Japan, and New Zealand. Each of these countries has very effective law enforcement, and Denmark, Norway, and Japan have some of the most restrictive gun laws in the world.
-worldpopulationreview.com, 2024
Arno's Commentary
These statistics, also confirmed by other sources, clearly show that crime is going down. That is quite surprising when we hear today more than ever that wars and rumors of wars, violent crime, burglary, theft, etc. are on the increase. Even ministers of the Gospel loudly proclaim that we are living in a chaotic time: governments unable to govern, the cost-of-living skyrocketing, inflation being unstoppable, etc. But in reality, it is not true. In plain words, we—that is, the entire world—never had it so good.
For the USA in particular, Pew Research reports:
Both the FBI and BJS data show dramatic declines in U.S. violent and property crime rates since the early 1990s, when crime spiked across much of the nation.
Using the FBI data, the violent crime rate fell 49% between 1993 and 2022, with large decreases in the rates of robbery (-74%), aggravated assault (-39%) and murder/nonnegligent manslaughter (-34%). It’s not possible to calculate the change in the rape rate during this period because the FBI revised its definition of the offense in 2013.
-www.pewresearch.org, 24 April 2024
Another reliable source, coindex.net, lists the five countries with the highest crime rate: 1) Myanmar, 2) Colombia, 3) Mexico, 4) Paraguay, and 5) Democratic Republic of Congo.
One thing seems to fit the picture globally: The poorest countries top the list for most crime.
Biblically speaking, this is the stage of the end times when humanity will glorify his self-produced peace and prosperity, and subsequently accept the rulership of Antichrist. Daniel writes: “And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand” (Daniel 8:25).
In chapter 7, Daniel’s first night vision reveals the fourth and last gentile superpower and the Antichrist’s work of deception: “And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time” (Daniel 7:25).
Arno Froese is the executive director of Midnight Call Ministries and editor-in-chief of the acclaimed prophetic magazines Midnight Call and News From Israel. He has authored a number of well-received books, and has sponsored many prophecy conferences in the U.S., Canada, and Israel. His extensive travels have contributed to his keen insight into Bible prophecy, as he sees it from an international perspective.
