South Africa, The Least Lawful
Gender equality is a basic human right with enormous social and economic benefits, and empowered, safe women contribute to economic growth and productivity. Inequality still exists within every society, though, and women face violence and sexual assault in all parts of the world.
Here's a look at the 25 countries with the highest amounts of reported incidents.
South Africa is among the least lawful countries in the world. It's had the highest rape rate worldwide since 2004, and an estimated 100,000 rapes take place in the country each year.
Rising Rates In Botswana
Botswana shares South Africa's northern border and its chart-topping rates of sexual assault, with 92.9 recorded attacks per 100,000 people. The LGBT community also faces persecution in Botswana—same-sex relations are illegal in the country.
Lesotho, A Tiny Kingdom
The kingdom of Lesotho, landlocked by the country of South Africa, records 82.7 instances of rape per 100,000 people. Over 40% of its citizens live below the poverty line.
Swaziland, A Sovereign State
Recorded rape in Swaziland amounts to 77.5 per 100,000 people each year. The country has faced backlash as a result of its alleged ban on miniskirts and revealing clothing.
Rising Crime In Bermuda
For decades, Bermuda was a safe and crime-free country, but homicide, theft, and sexual assaults have risen in recent years. The rate of rape in Bermuda rests at 67.3 incidents per 100,000 citizens.
High Rates In Sweden
Sweden sees 63.5 rapes reported per 100,000 inhabitants. Reported rape incidents have increased in the last 10 years. The Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention says that this rise can be partially attributed to 2005 legislation that augmented the types of acts classifiable as rape.
Drugs And Crime In Suriname
Suriname sees 45.2 rape incidents per 100,000 people in an average year. Crime is a major concern in the country; it's a transit zone for South American cocaine en route to Europe, Africa, and the United States.
Developed, Progressive Costa Rica
Costa Rica is among the most progressive and stable Latin American countries with a population of 4.5 million. The country sees 36.7 reported cases of rape per 100,000 inhabitants.
Nicaragua, The Latin American Capital Of Teen Pregnancy
With 31.6 incidents reported per 100,000 people, sexual violence in Nicaragua is almost normalized. The country has the highest rates of teen pregnancy in all of Latin America; in 2012, 33,812 babies were delivered by girls between 10 and 19 years old.
Grenada Taking Action
With 30.6 rape incidents per 100,000 citizens, Grenada is among the nations that have taken action. In 2010, the country's criminal code was revised to allow much harsher punishments for sexual assault perpetrators.
First World Country, Third World Rates
With 28.6 rape incidents reported in 2010, Australia, the smallest of the seven continents sees the same rates of sexual assault as underdeveloped countries in the world.
Saint Kitts And Nevis
Caribbean islands experience alarmingly high instances of sexual assault. Saint Kitts and Nevis are two islands that see 28.6 incidents of rape reported per 100,000 people.
Numbers Rising In Belgium
Belgium police recorded 28.4 rapes per 100,000 people in 2004. The number of reported incidents rose to 29.5 per 100,000 people by 2008.
The Land Of The Free
173,610 United States citizens were victims of rape or sexual assault in 2013. A 2011 study calculated the rate to be 25.7 per 100,000 inhabitants.
Lowest Rates In South America
In Bolivia, 33 per 100,000 inhabitants reported incidents of rape in 2012. The country's crime rate is among the lowest in all of South America.
New Zealand Rates Just Behind The U.S.
25.8 rape incidents per 100,000 inhabitants are reported in New Zealand, placing the country just behind the United States. Reported crimes as a whole have fallen in recent years.
One Woman Every Two Hours
Zimbabwe sees reports of 25.8 incidents per 100,000 inhabitants—roughly one woman is raped every two hours in the country, and cases have increased 42% in the past six years.
A Sunny Island With A Dark Side
St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a Caribbean country that's paradise to most travelers, but the country sees 112 rape incidents reported per 100,000 inhabitants.
Another From The Caribbean
Women are actually fleeing the country at record rates, accounting for 4% of population losses.
The island of Barbados falls in line with other Caribbean countries that see high instances of sexual assault. Barbados does have lower rates than Jamaica, though, and sees 25 incidents reported per 100,000 inhabitants.
Iceland Tops The Nordic Countries
Iceland sees reports of 24.9 rapes per 100,000 inhabitants—that's well over double what other Nordic countries like Denmark, Finland, and Norway record.
Rape And Incest Increasing Rapidly
The developing country of Jamaica sees rape and incest as its fastest-growing crimes today. The country sees 51 reported rape incidents per 100,000 habitants.
Protests In Peru
Homicides are on the rise too, and jumped up 20% between 2014 and 2015.
Peru sees 23.5 rape incidents reported per 100,000 inhabitants. The country joined Mexico, Bolivia, Colombia, Argentina, and Brazil by organizing marches to raise awareness and put an end to the femicide experienced by women in the country.
Every Third Woman In Israel
A report by the Public Security Ministry revealed that one in three Israeli women will be sexually assaulted in her life. 2009 numbers showed that Israel sees 17.9 rape incidents per 100,000 inhabitants.
The Bahamas Lead The Caribbean
The Bahamas lead the Caribbean islands with 133 rape incidents per 100,000 inhabitants. Another disturbing statistic: In nine Caribbean countries, 48% of adolescent girls' first sexual experiences were forced.
