The answer is no. Brazil, the first country in the above example has 10 times more violence, in proportion to the population, than Ghana, the second much poorer country in the example. The principle cause of crime is not poverty in and of itself, but rather the disparity between rich and poor. This explains, according to specialists, why Brazil has the highest homicide rate in the world among countries not in war. As inequality grows, so does violence.
Social inequality is one of the few causes of crime that can be quantified.
Statistics also prove that countries where large social inequalities don't exist have a much lower crime rate. Ghana is an eloquent example with a homicide rate of 2.1 per 100,000. Brazil's same rate is 21. Professionals who are involved in this area are of the opinion that this number explains the 290 riots, attempted rebellions and escapes registered in the prisons of the state of Sao Paulo during the first six months of 1995. The average of 35 deaths is likely to grow even more until the end of the year, according to Father Bill Sheehan OMI, who belongs to the Prison Pastoral.