Fraud Rates by Country 2026
Fraud is one of the fastest-growing crimes globally, encompassing various schemes designed to deceive victims for financial gain. This analysis presents fraud rates per 100,000 population across 82 countries, based on official data reported to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
What is Fraud?
Fraud involves intentional deception to secure unfair or unlawful gain, or to deprive a victim of a legal right. Common types include:
- Financial fraud – Bank fraud, credit card fraud, investment scams
- Identity theft – Using someone's personal information illegally
- Insurance fraud – False claims or staged accidents
- Consumer fraud – Deceptive sales practices, fake products
- Tax fraud – Evading taxes through false declarations
Fraud Rates by Country Per 100k Population
Important Note on Interpreting This Data
Fraud statistics are heavily influenced by digital infrastructure and financial system sophistication. Countries with advanced banking systems, widespread internet use, and high e-commerce activity naturally report more fraud cases. Many fraud cases go unreported, especially smaller amounts where victims feel embarrassed or believe reporting is futile.
Key Findings
Sweden leads dramatically with 2,372 fraud cases per 100,000 population in 2022, nearly 2.5 times higher than the second-ranked country. This reflects Sweden's highly digitized society and comprehensive fraud reporting systems.
Northern European countries dominate the top rankings: Belgium (975), Denmark (969), Finland (968), and Germany (953) all report rates near 1,000 per 100,000.
Singapore showed a notable increase from 294 in 2020 to 601 in 2022, more than doubling, reflecting the rise of online scams in the digitally connected city-state.
The United Kingdom showed an unusual decrease from 961 in 2021 to 307 in 2022, possibly indicating changes in classification or reporting methodology.
Asian countries generally report lower rates: Japan (30.34), Thailand (26.97), though these figures likely reflect underreporting rather than lower actual fraud levels.
Fraud Rates by Country Per 100k Population
| # |
Country
|
2020
|
2021
|
2022
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
2,694 | 2,479 | 2,372 |
| 2 |
|
830 | 880 | 975 |
| 3 |
|
924 | 777 | 969 |
| 4 |
|
852 | 857 | 968 |
| 5 |
|
966 | 948 | 953 |
| 6 |
|
756 | 761 | 916 |
| 7 |
|
610 | 640 | 777 |
| 8 |
|
234 | 359 | 718 |
| 9 |
|
590 | 737 | 688 |
| 10 |
|
294 | 457 | 601 |
| 11 |
|
319 | 432 | 582 |
| 12 |
|
454 | 471 | 501 |
| 13 |
|
441 | 440 | 461 |
| 14 |
|
362 | 465 | 455 |
| 15 |
|
357 | 387 | 429 |
| 16 |
|
353 | 350 | 422 |
| 17 |
|
350 | 409 | 392 |
| 18 |
|
433 | 408 | 376 |
| 19 |
|
301 | 348 | 326 |
| 20 |
|
10.1 | 14.56 | 312 |
| 21 |
|
1387 | 1619 | 307 |
| 22 |
|
157 | 453 | 296 |
| 23 |
|
240 | 277 | 293 |
| 24 |
|
- | 266 | 270 |
| 25 |
|
156 | 208 | 257 |
| 26 |
|
158 | 159 | 215 |
| 27 |
|
212 | 202 | 209 |
| 28 |
|
118 | 303 | 201 |
| 29 |
|
139 | 214 | 193 |
| 30 |
|
168 | 219 | 189 |
| 31 |
|
147 | 188 | 187 |
| 32 |
|
162 | 165 | 173 |
| 33 |
|
75.37 | 111 | 151 |
| 34 |
|
184 | 172 | 144 |
| 35 |
|
96.15 | 117 | 141 |
| 36 |
|
138 | 191 | 137 |
| 37 |
|
91.05 | 158 | 124 |
| 38 |
|
- | 112 | 122 |
| 39 |
|
80.13 | 118 | 110 |
| 40 |
|
47.97 | 83.06 | 101 |
| 41 |
|
37.94 | 80.78 | 98.77 |
| 42 |
|
63.4 | 75.12 | 89.28 |
| 43 |
|
63.89 | 81.1 | 87.12 |
| 44 |
|
40.63 | 60.75 | 76.73 |
| 45 |
|
57.87 | 61.93 | 64.01 |
| 46 |
|
73.06 | 28.28 | 55.6 |
| 47 |
|
31.72 | 39.49 | 49.18 |
| 48 |
|
52.54 | 29.42 | 42.15 |
| 49 |
|
10.36 | 61.01 | 40.4 |
| 50 |
|
36.37 | 35.11 | 38.77 |
| 51 |
|
27.74 | 21.38 | 38.54 |
| 52 |
|
24.73 | 32.1 | 36.07 |
| 53 |
|
18.74 | 31.12 | 35.9 |
| 54 |
|
19.57 | - | 35.33 |
| 55 |
|
27.79 | 32.32 | 34.27 |
| 56 |
|
24.1 | 23.83 | 33.68 |
| 57 |
|
44.88 | 36.14 | 32.12 |
| 58 |
|
24.12 | 26.54 | 30.34 |
| 59 |
|
6.98 | - | 28.77 |
| 60 |
|
12.7 | 15.26 | 26.97 |
| 61 |
|
10.89 | 4.33 | 25.85 |
| 62 |
|
109 | 18.61 | 20.39 |
| 63 |
|
16.46 | - | 18.22 |
| 64 |
|
9.54 | 6.62 | 6.35 |
| 65 |
|
6.19 | 3.8 | 4.87 |
| 66 |
|
2.35 | 2.51 | 4.2 |
| 67 |
|
6.16 | - | 3.82 |
| 68 |
|
- | - | 3.03 |
| 69 |
|
1.93 | 2.92 | 0.98 |
| 70 |
|
1.06 | 0.96 | 0.87 |
| 71 |
|
0.55 | 0.7 | 0.28 |
| 72 |
|
0.01 | 0.05 | 0.04 |
| 73 |
|
266 | - | - |
| 74 |
|
225 | - | - |
| 75 |
|
130 | - | - |
| 76 |
|
58.7 | - | - |
| 77 |
|
57.49 | - | - |
| 78 |
|
36.76 | - | - |
| 79 |
|
33.96 | - | - |
| 80 |
|
26.72 | - | - |
| 81 |
|
20.46 | - | - |
| 82 |
|
7.99 | - | - |
Note: UNODC reports fraud statistics separately for England and Wales and Scotland. Since no combined United Kingdom rate is provided, the values shown for the United Kingdom are based on England and Wales.
Data Source
- Source: UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) – Corruption and Economic Crime Statistics
- Unit: Rate per 100,000 population
- Years covered: 2020, 2021, 2022
- Countries included: 82 countries with available data
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Sweden's fraud rate so much higher than other countries?
Sweden's fraud rate of 2,372 per 100,000 is exceptionally high due to several factors: Sweden is one of the world's most digitized societies with widespread online banking and e-commerce, creating more opportunities for fraud. The country also has excellent fraud reporting systems and high public awareness encouraging victims to report. Additionally, Sweden's definition of fraud may be broader than other countries, capturing more types of deceptive practices.
How has digitalization affected fraud rates globally?
Digitalization has dramatically increased fraud rates worldwide. Countries with high internet penetration, widespread online banking, and active e-commerce markets report significantly higher fraud rates. Singapore's rate more than doubled from 294 to 601 between 2020-2022 as online scams proliferated. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this trend as more transactions moved online, creating new opportunities for fraudsters targeting inexperienced digital users.
Data Disclaimer: Projected data (future years) are estimates based on mathematical models. Actual values may differ. Learn about our methodology →
Sources
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Updated: 08.12.2025https://dataunodc.un.org/dp-crime-corruption-offences
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