Is Australia Really Safe? Research Claims Violent Crime Risk 67 Percent Higher Than the US

‘The thing about Australia is that people really are misinformed about many issues down here,’ says researcher John Lott Jr.

Tributes are seen on the overpass, where the attackers carried out their act of terror, in memory of the victims of the Dec. 14 Bondi Beach shooting in Sydney, Australia on Jan. 22, 2026. Steven Markham / AFP via Getty Images

For many, Australia conjures up images of quiet suburbs, beaches, and safety, while the U.S. is perceived as the epicentre of violence and mass shootings—but new data suggests that contrast may be misleading.

Surprising figures from researcher John Lott Jr., founder of the U.S.-based Crime Prevention Research Center, and South Australian academic Kesten Green suggests Australians are 67 percent more likely than Americans to be victims of violent crime outside of homicide.