Most Violent Cities In The World (PHOTOS)

Mexico claims the unfortunate dishonor of having five of the top 10 most violent cities in the world, according to a study published by the Consejo Ciudadano para la Seguridad Pública y la Justicia Penal (Citizen Council for Public Safety and Criminal Justice), a private organization and wing of COPARMEX, the Mexican Employers' Association.

The rankings come as little surprise, given the rash of violence associated with Mexico's war on drugs. El Periódico de Catalunya reports that on Thursday a group of hitmen allegedly murdered a man outside of an elementary school as classes let out in front of dozens of parents and teachers in Ciudad Juárez, the No. 2 most-violent city.

La Crónica de Hoy notes that of the 50 most violent cities, 12 are in Mexico; 14 in Brazil; five in Colombia; 45 in the Americas and 40 in Latin America. And while Mexico holds down five of the top 10 spots, San Pedro Sula, Honduras, takes the bitter cake in the top spot, with 159 murders per 100,000 people, according to CNN Mexico. The U.S.'s most violent city is New Orleans, coming in at No. 21 on the list, with Detroit, St. Louis and Baltimore also making the top 50.

Below, check out the top 10 most violent cities in the world.

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Comments

[Christos Palmer]

10:11 AM on 05/11/2012

Thankfully Cardiff didn't make it.

[Hellisher]

04:44 PM on 05/06/2012

The list is limited in scope as it's only 50 and you have to have more than 300,000 people.

[Olga Pagu]

02:36 PM on 04/23/2012

I don't trust this list at all. Where's Beirut, Grozny (Chechnya), Capetown, St. Louis, Moscow?

Belém, Brazil, more violent than Bogota, Colombia? That's not what statistics of murder rate say...

Lagos, Mogadishu?

The authors of this list apparently forgot the existence of Asian, African and Eastern European cities...

[Ian Does]

03:15 PM on 04/17/2012

keep in mind, even though a us city isnt listed we are sitll in the top 20 list of highets murder rates.

[Hellisher]

11:47 AM on 05/01/2012

Not at all, New Orleans wouldn't make the top 100. The guy who made the list hasn't done it properly.

[Ian Does]

12:43 PM on 05/01/2012

youre either trolling or uneducated.

[Eternalwisdom]

05:03 PM on 03/18/2012

How can Detroit be in the top 50? The city looks like its been nuked, half the homes are empty and even the gangs have left; simply put, there's nothing left fighting or dying for.

[cantstopyounow]

01:00 AM on 03/17/2012

It would be important to note the reason for these violent crimes to put together better statistics. In some countries, economically motivated violent crimes occur more often, while in others gang related or organized crime related crimes are more numerous. While not everyone may be the target of gang or organized crime, most everyone will be the target of economically related crimes. In this way it is not difficult to assume that in US cities the lower number of economically related violent crimes will make a difference when in overall compared to cities in central or south america. With that in mind, a better approach to ranking can be made. However, no doubt the combined number of violent crimes will not change but the perception of violence or safety others may have about those places perhaps will.

[Steen Christine Quintero]

02:30 PM on 03/04/2012

You can't base your opinions off of this article. I currently reside in Latin America and feel safer here than anywhere I've lived in the states. It isn't always paradise, but neither was California.
Don't let negativity and fear deter you from exploring our planet. Get a passport and see the world. It's the only way to truly live.

[Ian Does]

03:20 PM on 04/17/2012

you know, they arent going based off what they have seen. its based off statistics, sure latin america has some of the most beautiful sites and gorgeous women ever but the reason you say you feel safer there is because you possibly were born there or have some type of stronger bond there than you do here in california and when its like that you feel comfortable so of course if you feel comfortable you feel safe and dont worry too much about crime. same thing for me, i feel safe in california because ive been living here all my life and im comfortable but only when i start to think about how much crime there is here and there then do i get worried

[Dangerous cities]

06:39 PM on 02/27/2012

Mexico is a nice place to live but it has it down falls but which country does. its not really that countries are dangerous its mostly due to the economic of the country.

[carlosiic]

07:18 PM on 02/14/2012

All in Latin America, not surprising at all?

[Steen Christine Quintero]

02:28 PM on 03/04/2012

Your point is? I'm an American living in Latin America and feel safer here than anywhere else in the world!

[alejandro fierro]

02:49 PM on 01/23/2012

You want to know if Mexico is dangerous to visit? Don´t read this bullshit news, ask to the tourists that have actually been there.
Mexico may have very dangerous places but only if you´re involved in cartels and drug trafficking, if not, there´s nothing to worry about, unfortunately the papers never tell you that.
Also, Mexico may be a dangerous place but the United States has turned the world into a violent place and has been the main contributor to an impending global nuclear destruction due to its grip in oil.

[TStringfellow]

05:41 PM on 01/24/2012

I've been to 7 out of these 10 cities in the past year, Torreon, Durango, Chihuahua, Acapulco, Juarez, Tegucilgalpa and San Pedro Sula.

I would advocate that tourists continue going to Mexico, because it is true, in general, that foreigners are rarely affected and almost never targeted. However, for Mexicans citizens that have to live in the middle of this nightmare, it is incredibly dangerous. Let me assure you that a huge chunk of the 50,000 deaths during Calderon's term have been innocent people.

[Porfirio Wise]

01:02 PM on 03/18/2012

A huge chunk of the 50.000 deaths were innocent people??? De donde sacaste eso?

[MoyokoyatzinTezkatlipoka]

10:50 PM on 01/21/2012

The Consejo Ciudadano para la Seguridad Pública y Justicia Penal is a pro fascist mexican association that fakes this kind of studies to promote the political candidacies of their fellow friends, curiously they support the use of violence from the mexican central goverment in the big fake known as the "War against drugs". Proof of it is that they took away from the list cities as reynosa and matamoros that are still in control of the drug gangs, just to make it look like a big success from the goverment´s war.

[pig]

09:02 AM on 01/20/2012

No surprise's here ..move on nothing to se ....here

[Far Far away]

06:49 AM on 01/19/2012

Are you sure this is not the 10 most dangerous cities in latin america or the american continent ? I am pretty sure some places in Sudan or Congo are more dangerous

[Yank in France]

04:38 AM on 01/20/2012

Nope! Despite the type and pro-Israel/anti-Muslim propagande, the worst violence in the world is right in the western hemisphere just south of the border. And let's not forget the inner cities in America, which are by far and away more dangerous than anything you will find in civilized countries (Europe, Oceania, Japan, etc.).

[eric14]

09:12 AM on 01/21/2012

I lived in the Middle East and North Africa and always wandered without thinking through back street areas, feeling perfectly safe in poor areas. Sure, a couple of cities were notorious for petty theft, but violence against members of the public was extremely rare.

[TStringfellow]

04:24 AM on 01/25/2012

They're talking about death tolls in places not technically "at war". Sudan and Congo are places where armed conflict is declared, in Mexico's case the armed conflict is undeclared and imposed by the DEA, CIA and the US State Dept.

[Marciarita]

12:57 PM on 01/18/2012

Legalize drugs and you can get rid of most of this violence, pure and simple......

[Stoopid American]

06:18 PM on 01/19/2012

And simultaneously put the drug cartels out of business overnight.

[Yank in France]

04:41 AM on 01/20/2012

Legalize ALL drugs or just grass? What about crack and other, far more dangerous drugs, including those that KILL?

Or maybe we should just get rid of prescriptions for drugs, ban pharmacies and start up drug dispensaries at every corner.

You would be opening up a huge Pandora's box of regulation, and that's leaving aside the isssue of prescriptions for pharmaceutical drugs.

Sometimes the simple solutions are not the best ones.

[kminante]

09:42 AM on 04/22/2012

cigarettes and liquor also kill, and till legal.,I dont smoke neither drink, but many people died for cause related. as,,,asma,cirrosis, heart attack,but they dont count as drug abuse crime. And what about the drug the farmer used to feed their animal..that also kill many people.

[kminante]

09:53 AM on 04/22/2012

Cigarrete and Liquor al legal drugs and kill more people ,the killing in the no legal drugs, are related to the war to control of the drug not for consume it. Ilegal= to big money at big risk. One more thing, the drug that the farmer used to feed they animal also kill but is legal.I dont used drugs, neither smoke. but consume son wine or beer ocassionaly.

[abhorson]

12:55 PM on 01/18/2012

smart money invests in these areas now ... gotta be cheap ... things can't get much worse !

[Johnny Galileo]

02:18 PM on 01/18/2012

I checked the penny stocks report, but couldn't find anything that looked promising in Caracas. How unusual . . ..