In 2020 there were 1,093 road deaths in Australia (source: Department for Transport). This equates to 4.3 road deaths per 100,000 of population and compares to the UK average of 2.3 road deaths per 100,000 of population in 2020.
Crime rates
The homicide rate in Australia in 2021 was 0.86 per 100,000, which was lower than New Zealand's 1.0 per 100,000 and 1.3 per 100,000 in the United Kingdom. In comparison to North America in 2021, the United States and Canada had homicide rates of 3.8 and 2.2 per 100,000, respectively.
The UK vs Australia: Quality of life. In general, the living standards in Australia are noticeably higher than in the UK. The highest quality of life is also accompanied by higher average wages.
Australia is generally a very safe and welcoming place to live and study, consistently ranking among the safest countries in the world. But it is still important to look after yourself and be aware of the risks that exist - and ways to minimise them.
Known for its wide-open lands and unique wildlife, the sixth-largest country on Earth is also one of the safest in both Oceania and the world. Australia is a popular tourist destination, with more than 7.5 million visitors annually.
The crime rate in Australia is much lower than in the United States of America. As Australia ranks 47th while the USA ranks on 30th according to their crime rates. It is so rare for police officers to carry guns due to the low crime rate.
Crime rate in Australia – an overview
In the Global Peace Index, an annual ranking of which countries in the world are the safest, conducted by the Institute for Economics and Peace, Australia ranked 13th out of 163 countries for the year 2020.
Australia is ranked 69th out of 164 countries when it comes to crime in general while Canada did better with only 39.03 crimes per 100,000 and ranking 80th.
Australia scored highly in the United Nations' 2022 World Happiness Report, ranking as the 12th happiest country out of 156 countries – ahead of Canada (15th), the United States (16th) and the United Kingdom (17th).
Australia's average wealth is just 1.8 times our median wealth; by contrast the UK's is 2.2 times greater, while the US is second worst out of the top 50, at 6.7 times.
Despite its great distance from Australia, the shared language, sense of humour and general relaxed culture over in the UK makes it very easy for Aussies to settle in and quickly feel very much at home. Australia and Britain have always shared a rare affinity that many other nations just wouldn't understand.
One of the most prevalent crimes in Australia is sexual assault, with the largest proportion of victims being female.
North West England had the highest crime rate among regions of the United Kingdom in 2021/22 at approximately 106.8 crimes per 1,000 population.
New Zealand is the second-safest country in the world.
Australia's history is different from that of many other nations in that since the first coming of the Europeans and their dispossession of the Aboriginals, Australia has not experienced a subsequent invasion; no war has since been fought on Australian soil.
Australia is a very safe country to visit. The country has a stable political system and a low crime rate, and Australians generally experience a safe lifestyle. However, you should observe the same precautions with your personal safety and possessions as you would when travelling anywhere, whether at home or overseas.
Australia and Canada have similar levels of GDP per capita (based on purchasing power parity, nominal GDP per capita was around US$ 7 000 for Australia and US$ 9 000 for Canada in 008).
Sydney prides itself on safety, deep culture, and friendly communities. It is considered the fifth safest city in the world and Australia's safest city. Like any other city, there is crime, just not as much. It is no secret that Sydney is a major city with a population of 5.2 million.
The suburb with the lowest crime rate is The Patch - 39 km east of the CBD in the foothills of the Yarra Range with 1.03 incidents per 100 residents. The median house price in The Patch in 2020 was $825,000, with a median weekly household income $1,583.
The index ranks cities according to personal security, infrastructure security, health security and digital security. Sydney and Melbourne share the same rankings in the latter three categories. But Sydney's edge on the issue of personal security is enough to give the Harbour City a five-spot edge in the rankings.