List of safest countries of the world

THE HAGUE (Web Desk) - The English Channel represents a new divide between England and Netherlands. While the British are struggling to accommodate prisoners due to lack of adequate prison cells, Netherlands is shutting down prisons due to lack of prisoners.

The Dutch ministry announced that the country has closed down all but eight prisons, as there are not enough criminals to fill them up. The country has the capacity to hold 14,000 prisoners at a time but the current count of detainees in Netherlands is below 12,000.

Netherlands' Chief Inspector of Prisons Nick Hardwick said that the decreasing number of detainees and budget cuts had prompted the European government to close down most of its prisons.

With this initiative, Netherlands has become one of the safest countries in the world. Here is a list of other safe countries around the world:

Hong Kong:

Hong Kong's police are one of the reasons for the low crime rates and high level of safety in Hong Kong. The police are often described as very helpful, polite and omnipresent. Hong Kong's crime rate is generally low and violent crimes are relatively infrequent.

Iceland:

According to the Icelandic National Police and previous reporting, crime in Iceland remains comparatively lower than in many developed countries. This is partly due to a high standard of living, a small population, and a well-trained and educated police force.

Finland:

Finland has an excellent police force and a stable political, and economic environment. Crime statistics remain low compared to the other developed countries. According to the previous reports, the rate of violent crimes fell six percent in 2013 from 2012, and the number of recorded robberies dropped seven percent.

Ireland:

In 2010, Lonely Planet named Ireland the most friendly country in the world. The Global Peace Index rated Ireland the 13th most peaceful place on Earth.

Sweden:

According to official statistics, incidents of vehicle theft has fallen seven percent since 2013. Vehicles are rarely recovered and are usually shipped out of the country for resale or disassembly. Vehicle break-ins are a more frequent phenomenon, as 52,500 vehicle break-ins were reported in 2014.

Taiwan:

In Taiwan, there is an extensive CCTV coverage throughout the nation. Taiwan is a left-hand drive country and has an extensive list of traffic laws and regulations, including mandatory use of seatbelts.

Denmark:

Denmark regularly ranks among the least corrupt nations in the world according to the multiple surveys. According to previous reports, overall crime rate decreased in 2014 and crimes like robberies and burglaries decreased 26 percent and 13 percent, respectively.

Norway:

Norway has a relatively low level of crime in comparison to the other Western European countries with large populations. Residential burglaries have decreased over the past few years. Organised crime does exist but on a very small scale.

Canada:

The Public Safety Canada continuously engages with the Canadian citizens to ensure that the country's national security efforts are benefitting the interests of all communities.

Luxembourg:

Luxembourg is one of the safest and modern European country with effective law enforcement and security services. Highways and larger roads are also well lit and maintained.