Country rankings

Kidnappings per Country

Pakistan has the highest Total Kidnappings in 2023 (30,411), followed by Brazil (6,401) and Germany (5,041). Antigua and Barbuda has the lowest (1).

Crime & Safety139 countries · 1 metricUpdated Jan 13, 2025Original page
4 sources
Total KidnappingsBetter directionWhether a higher or a lower value is better. A green arrow means higher is better, a red arrow means lower is better, and no arrow means neither.More in the glossary →
61 of 235 countries
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Total Kidnappings, 2023

Darker means higher. Click a place to highlight it.

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Ranking

Highest first: the first 15 and last 5 of 61 countries.

Distribution Median and middle halfThe median is the middle value: half of places are above it, half below. The middle half is the range holding the central 50% of places.More in the glossary →

Each dot is one country; the lines mark the median and the middle half.

Median
47
Middle half 9 – 390
Average
949
61 countries
Highest
30,411
Pakistan
Lowest
1
Antigua and Barbuda

Over time · 2003–2023

The top 5 in 2023, against the median.

  • Median of all countries
  • Pakistan
  • Brazil
  • Germany
  • Canada
  • Ecuador

Data

Click a column to sort, a row to highlight that place on the charts.

What correlates with Total Kidnappings (2023)?

Pearson r against 1,685 other country metrics sharing at least 37 countries, 1 near-identical series hidden. Correlation is not causation.

Higher together

Places that have a higher Total Kidnappings tend to score higher on these

  1. AFP CasesCountries with Polio
    r = +0.97 · very strong · n = 41
    Plot
  2. Males DetectedHuman Trafficking Rates by Country
    r = +0.96 · very strong · n = 42
    Plot
  3. Snakebite Deaths 1990-2019Snake Bite Deaths by Country
    r = +0.96 · very strong · n = 52
    Plot
  4. Total Victims DetectedHuman Trafficking Rates by Country
    r = +0.96 · very strong · n = 45
    Plot
  5. Females DetectedHuman Trafficking Rates by Country
    r = +0.96 · very strong · n = 42
    Plot
  6. Hindu PopulationHindu Countries
    r = +0.96 · very strong · n = 59
    Plot

Opposite directions

Places that have a higher Total Kidnappings tend to score lower on these

  1. Female Cell Phone UsersMost Dangerous Countries for Women
    r = −0.84 · very strong · n = 61
    Plot
  2. Cell Phone Users 2008 to 2016Most Dangerous Countries for Women
    r = −0.66 · strong · n = 53
    Plot
  3. % Female UsersFacebook Users by Country
    r = −0.63 · strong · n = 61
    Plot
  4. Literacy Rate - FemaleLiteracy Rate by Country
    r = −0.61 · strong · n = 47
    Plot
  5. Total Population Literacy RateLiteracy Rate by Country
    r = −0.56 · strong · n = 54
    Plot
  6. Literacy Rate - MaleLiteracy Rate by Country
    r = −0.54 · strong · n = 47
    Plot

Quick answers

Which country has the highest Total Kidnappings?
Pakistan has the highest Total Kidnappings in 2023, at 30,411, followed by Brazil (6,401) and Germany (5,041).
Which country has the lowest Total Kidnappings?
Antigua and Barbuda has the lowest Total Kidnappings in 2023, at 1.
What is the median Total Kidnappings across countries?
The median is 47 across the 61 countries with data in 2023.
Where does this kidnappings per country data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Kidnapping - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime; Kidnapping - Britannica; Support for families of Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad - Hostage US; Violent & Sexual Crime - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.