Further, it found that the violent crime rate was down by about one quarter (from 1,255 per 100,000 people in 2003, to 933 in 2012),[1] with the southeast of the country as the most peaceful place to live (Broadland in Norfolk received the highest rank).
[6] The report notes that "there is no commonly accepted explanation by criminologists for the fall in violence in many of the world's regions including the US, Western Europe, Eastern and Central Europe, as well as the UK," and that "many of the more common theories" are not backed by statistical evidence.
For example, while the global financial crisis has seen many countries suffer severely in economic terms and while levels of peacefulness increased, the idea that violent crime goes up when the economy goes down is not backed by the evidence.
[7] The UKPI reinforces findings from the United States Peace Index: access to employment, health, and education provides protection from the poverty and has significant impact on reducing violence and improving economic activity.
[9] The authors of the index have stated that a 9% reduction in violence in the UK would be equivalent to the total cost of the London Olympics.