Viral videos showing people in China leaving packages unattended on streets, bikes unlocked at 3 AM, and women walking alone without fear have sparked intense debate online. Comments are flooded with disbelief: “You could never do that where I live!” But is this portrayal of China’s safety accurate, or is it exaggerated propaganda?
To answer this question, we dove deep into crime statistics from multiple credible sources including Numbeo, NationMaster, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, and major research institutions. The data reveals a striking picture that challenges many Western assumptions about safety in China compared to the United States and other Western nations.
In this comprehensive analysis, we examine four key areas: property crime, violent crime, homicide rates, and overall public safety perceptions. The statistics are clear, sourced, and may fundamentally change how you think about safety across different societies.
Property Crime: The Package Theft and Bike Theft Epidemic in America The Reality of Package Theft in the United States
One of the most striking observations in viral videos from China is the sight of packages left unattended outside homes and businesses without being stolen. For many Americans, this seems almost unbelievable. The reason is simple: package theft, commonly known as “porch piracy,” has become a massive problem in the United States.
According to SafeWise’s 2025 U.S. Package Theft Report, an estimated 104 million packages were stolen from porches across the United States in the past 12 months. This represents a staggering scale of property crime that affects millions of households annually.
The financial impact is equally sobering. Security.org reports that criminals have stolen approximately $12 billion worth of goods delivered to people’s homes over the past year. This has led to a booming industry in doorbell cameras, package lockers, and delivery instructions designed to hide packages from potential thieves.
The prevalence of package theft has fundamentally changed how Americans receive deliveries. Many people now arrange to have packages held at secure locations, require signatures, or install surveillance systems. This stands in stark contrast to the trust-based system visible in China, where packages routinely sit unattended without incident.
Bicycle Theft: A Comparative Analysis
Another dramatic difference emerges when examining bicycle theft statistics. Videos from Shanghai showing hundreds of unlocked bikes at 3:30 AM seem almost fantastical to residents of major American cities, where bike theft is endemic.
Research published in FindingsPress reveals that approximately 2.4 million bicycles are stolen annually in the United States. This translates to a rate of 709.6 bicycle thefts per 100,000 people per year. The problem is so widespread that, according to The Best Bike Lock’s analysis, less than 5% of stolen bikes are ever recovered.
The economic impact is substantial, with stolen bikes valued at approximately $1.4 billion annually. In major American cities, leaving a bike unlocked—even for a few minutes—is considered an invitation to theft. Heavy-duty locks, GPS trackers, and indoor storage have become necessities rather than precautions.
This contrast highlights a fundamental difference in property crime rates and public trust between the two societies.
Violent Crime: Assault, Robbery, and Public Safety Perceptions Perceived Violent Crime Problems
Beyond property crime, the data on violent crime reveals even more significant disparities. According to NationMaster’s crime statistics, the United States has three times more perceived violent crime problems, including assault and armed robbery, compared to China.
Specifically, the United States scores 75.54 on the perceived violent crime index, while China scores just 23.91. This dramatic difference reflects not just statistical reality but also the lived experience of residents in both countries.
The implications of this disparity are profound. In China, items like knives can be left at market stalls without fear of theft or misuse. Street vendors operate with minimal security concerns. Public spaces feel fundamentally different when the baseline level of violent crime is substantially lower.
The Freedom from Fear
One of the most compelling arguments made by long-term expatriates living in China is the concept of “freedom from fear.” While political freedom is often discussed in comparisons between China and Western nations, the freedom to walk streets at night without fear of assault or robbery is a tangible, daily experience that profoundly affects quality of life.
This perspective challenges conventional narratives and asks us to consider different dimensions of freedom and security. For many residents and visitors, the ability to move through public spaces without constant vigilance represents a form of liberty that has become increasingly rare in many Western urban environments.
Homicide Rates: The Most Serious Crime Comparison China's Remarkably Low Homicide Rate
Perhaps the most striking statistical difference between China and the United States appears in homicide rates. According to CNN, citing the UN Office on Drugs and Crime’s International Homicide Statistics database, China’s intentional homicide rate was approximately 0.5 per 100,000 people in 2018.
The United States, by comparison, had a homicide rate of around 5.0 per 100,000 people during the same period. This means the US murder rate is 10 times higher than China’s—a staggering difference that helps explain why someone could live in China for 15 years without encountering serious crime.
More recent data from NationMaster shows China’s intentional homicide rate at 1.12 per 100,000, while the United States stands at 4.7 per 100,000—still 4 times higher than China.
The Gun Violence Factor
A major contributor to America’s higher homicide rate is the prevalence of firearms. According to NationMaster’s gun ownership statistics, the United States has 88.8 guns per 100 residents, compared to China’s 4.9 guns per 100 residents. This represents an 18-fold difference in gun ownership rates.
The United States ranks first globally in civilian gun ownership, while China ranks 97th. This fundamental difference in access to firearms has profound implications for violent crime rates, homicide statistics, and overall public safety.
The correlation between gun availability and homicide rates is well-established in criminological research. The dramatic difference in gun ownership between the two countries helps explain the equally dramatic difference in violent death rates.
Overall Safety Indexes: What the Comprehensive Data Shows Numbeo's 2025 Crime and Safety Index
To get a comprehensive picture of overall safety, we can turn to Numbeo’s 2025 Mid-Year Crime Index, which aggregates multiple safety factors into overall scores based on user-contributed data from around the world.
China’s Rankings:
•Crime Index: 23.5 (ranked 136th out of 148 countries, where lower is safer)
•Safety Index: 76.5 (ranked 136th, where higher is safer)
United States Rankings:
•Crime Index: 49.2 (ranked 58th out of 148 countries)
•Safety Index: 50.8 (ranked 58th)
These numbers reveal that China has a 52% lower crime index and a 50% higher safety index compared to the United States. China ranks among the safest countries globally, comparable to nations like Japan (Crime Index: 22.7) and Singapore (Crime Index: 22.6).
The United States, meanwhile, ranks between Belgium (49.5) and Belarus (49.1), placing it in the middle tier of global safety rankings—far below the safest nations but above countries with severe crime problems.
What This Means for Daily Life
These aggregate safety indexes translate into tangible differences in daily life. In China, residents and visitors report:
•Feeling comfortable walking alone at night in major cities
•Leaving personal belongings unattended in public spaces
•Minimal concern about violent crime in daily activities
•High levels of trust in public interactions
•Low anxiety about personal safety for women traveling alone
In contrast, many American cities require constant vigilance, with residents taking precautions that would seem excessive in China’s urban environments.
Special Consideration: Safety for Women Gender-Specific Safety Concerns
One of the most frequently mentioned aspects of safety in China is the experience of women, who often report feeling significantly safer than in Western countries. The low rates of violent crime, assault, and robbery have a particularly pronounced impact on women’s freedom of movement and sense of security.
According to Numbeo’s safety data, China scores very high on metrics related to “feeling safe walking alone at night,” with women reporting substantially lower levels of fear compared to their counterparts in the United States and United Kingdom.
This difference manifests in practical ways:
•Women regularly walk alone at night in major Chinese cities
•Solo female travelers report high levels of comfort and safety
•Street harassment is reported at lower rates than in many Western countries
•Violent crimes against women occur at significantly lower frequencies
The ability to move through public spaces without fear represents a form of freedom that many women in Western countries increasingly lack. This dimension of safety is often overlooked in broader discussions about quality of life and personal liberty.
Understanding the Context: Why These Differences Exist Factors Contributing to China's Lower Crime Rates
Several factors contribute to China’s remarkably low crime rates:
1.Strict Gun Control: Extremely limited civilian access to firearms dramatically reduces lethal violence
2.Extensive Surveillance: Widespread CCTV coverage acts as both deterrent and investigative tool
3.Severe Penalties: Harsh punishments for crimes create strong deterrents
4.Social Cohesion: Strong community bonds and social monitoring systems
5.Economic Development: Rising living standards reduce economic motivations for crime
6.Efficient Policing: High police visibility and quick response times
Challenges in Comparing Crime Statistics
It is important to acknowledge potential limitations in comparing crime statistics across different countries:
•Reporting Rates: Crime reporting rates may vary between countries
•Legal Definitions: What constitutes a crime may differ across legal systems
•Data Collection Methods: Statistical methodologies may not be perfectly comparable
•Political Factors: Government control of statistics could affect reported numbers
However, the consistency of data across multiple independent sources—including international organizations like the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, user-contributed platforms like Numbeo, and on-the-ground reports from millions of expatriates and travelers—suggests that the broad patterns are accurate even if specific numbers may have margins of error.
What Travelers and Expatriates Report Consistent Testimonials from Long-Term Residents
Beyond statistics, the experiences of foreigners living in China provide valuable qualitative data. Common themes in expatriate testimonials include:
•Surprise at Safety Levels: Many report that China is far safer than they expected based on Western media portrayals
•Lifestyle Changes: Expatriates often adopt behaviors they would never consider in their home countries, such as leaving bikes unlocked or walking alone late at night
•Contrast with Home Countries: Long-term residents frequently note that they feel safer in China than in major American or European cities
•Trust in Public Spaces: The ability to trust strangers and leave belongings unattended is consistently mentioned
These qualitative reports align closely with the quantitative data, suggesting that the statistical differences translate into real, lived experiences.
Conclusion: Challenging Assumptions About Safety
The data presents a clear picture: by multiple objective measures, China is significantly safer than the United States when it comes to violent crime, property crime, and overall public safety. The homicide rate is approximately one-tenth that of the United States, property crimes like package theft and bike theft are far less common, and overall safety indexes place China among the safest countries in the world.
This does not mean China is perfect or that the United States is uniformly dangerous. Crime rates vary significantly within both countries, and safety is just one dimension of quality of life. However, the evidence challenges the narrative that many people in Western countries have been told about safety in China.
For travelers considering visiting China, the data suggests that safety concerns should not be a deterrent. For those interested in comparative sociology and criminology, these statistics raise important questions about what factors contribute to public safety and how different societies balance various forms of freedom and security.
The reality on the ground, supported by comprehensive data from multiple credible sources, is that daily life in China is remarkably safe—often safer than in many Western countries that pride themselves on personal freedom and security.
Sources and References
1.Numbeo Crime Index 2025 Mid-Year – https://www.numbeo.com/crime/rankings_by_country.jsp
2.NationMaster Crime Statistics – https://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/compare/China/United-States/Crime
3.NationMaster Violent Crime Data – https://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/compare/China/United-States/Crime/Violent-crime
4.CNN/UN Office on Drugs and Crime – https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/09/china/china-knife-attacks-mic-intl-hnk
5.Security.org Package Theft Report – https://www.security.org/package-theft/annual-report/
6.SafeWise Package Theft Study – https://www.safewise.com/blog/metro-areas-porch-theft/
7.The Best Bike Lock Statistics – https://thebestbikelock.com/bike-theft-statistics-us/
8.FindingsPress Bicycle Theft Research – https://findingspress.org/article/127974-bicycle-theft-in-the-us-magnitude-and-equity-impacts
