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For 2000, New Zealand's rate of recorded violent crime was 1082 per 100,000 population. However, this figure cannot be directly compared with violent crime rates in other western countries because of definitional and other differences. In this report, the definition of violent crime for New Zealand has been adapted to reflect equivalent offences to those contained within other country's definitions.
In accordance with the American definition of violent crime, the rate of total recorded violent crime for America in 2000 was 506.1 per 100,000, almost four times the rate of 132.6 for New Zealand.
In accordance with the Australian definition of violent crime, the rate of total recorded violent crime for Australia in 2000 was 941.9 per 100,000 population, with New Zealand's rate of 1036.4 ten percent higher than that for Australia.
In accordance with the English and Welsh definition of violent crime, the rates of total recorded violent crime for England in 2000 was 1390 per 100,000 population, and for Wales was 1392 per 100,000 population. New Zealand's total recorded violent crime rate of 1204.5 per 100,000 population was 13 percent lower than both England's and Wales' rates of violent crime.
In accordance with the Canadian definition of violent crime, the rate of total recorded violent crime for Canada in 2000 was 981.7 per 100,000 population, with New Zealand's rate of 551.1 nearly 44 percent lower than that for Canada.
The above comparisons, however, have to be interpreted with caution. Aside from the New Zealand definition of violent crime being adjusted for comparisons to other countries to reduce definitional differences, many other factors can affect crime figures differently from one country to another, such as the rates at which crimes are reported to the police and recorded by them; differences in the point at which crime is recorded; differences in the rules by which multiple offences are counted; whether crime rates are counted in terms of the number of offences, or the number of victims; and changes in data quality over time.