The 2023 Global Organized Crime Index ranked Myanmar the number one country – out of 193 countries on its list – with the highest crime rate in the world on July 16. It moved up from the third position in 2021 after the military coup, which indicates a significant increase in organized criminal activities over the last three years.

“With a crime index of 8.15, Burma stands as the country with the highest crime rate in the world, and is a large market for crime, including people smuggling and arms trade,” stated the report.

Myanmar is described as a market for human trafficking, illegal rare earth mining and the arms trade. The Global Organized Crime Index was created in 2021 by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, a non-governmental organization based in Geneva, Switzerland. Read the Myanmar country report, here.