In a world where surveillance is ever increasing, where are the most CCTV cameras?
By the end of 2021, an estimated one billion surveillance cameras were in operation globally; 54 per cent of them are located in China. Chinese cities are under the heaviest CCTV surveillance in the world, but there’s growing concern about the surveillance tactics, and lack of data protection, in several countries. No single country is consistent in protecting the privacy of its citizens and only five have ‘adequate safeguards’ in place (Ireland, France, Portugal, Denmark and Norway). Here we present the cities with the highest number of public CCTV cameras per person in the world. These cameras are used by government entities, such as law enforcement, across public locations that include buildings and transport.
Cities with the most CCTV per people
1) Cities of China – 373 cameras per 1000 people (estimate)
Data privacy laws: Extensive surveillance
It’s difficult to know how many cameras are installed in any Chinese city; one conservative estimate by IHS Markit puts the number at 540 million cameras countrywide – more than one camera per three people. China’s technology goes beyond facial recognition to ‘emotion recognition’, touted as a way to predict problematic behaviour in prisons, workplaces, schools and care homes.
2) Indore, India – 62.52 cameras
Data privacy laws: Systemic failure to maintain safeguards
3) Hyderabad, India – 41.8 cameras
4) Dehli, India – 26.7 cameras
5: Chennai, India – 24.53 cameras
6) Singapore, Singapore – 18.04 cameras
Data privacy laws: Some safeguards/weakened protection
Singapore is the world’s leading ‘smart city’ – a city that uses data collected from a range of sources such as social media, sensors and CCTV cameras to make its facilities and services more efficient and to enhance its citizens’ quality of life. The ubiquitous use of CCTV by its Smart Nation initiative has reportedly helped to reduce traffic congestion, littering and vandalism, and has successfully located criminals using facial recognition technology. State surveillance is often justified by its potential to reduce crime, but while Singapore’s crime rates are some of the lowest in the world, it’s difficult to determine whether this comes as a result of its extensive CCTV network or its harsh criminal penalties for everything from chewing gum to drug trafficking – the country is estimated to have the highest execution rate
in the world relative to its population.
7) Moscow, Russia – 16.85 cameras
Data privacy laws: Systemic failure to maintain safeguards
8) Baghdad, Iraq – 15.97 cameras
9) St Petersburg, Russia – 12.65 cameras
10) London, England – 13.35 cameras
Data privacy laws: Some safeguards/weakened protection
11) Los Angeles, USA – 8.77 cameras
Data privacy laws: Some safeguards/weakened protection
12: Uganda – 0.64 cameras
Almost 80 per cent of countries have some government use of facial recognition technology. Uganda doesn’t feature among the countries with the highest number
of CCTV cameras, with only 0.64 cameras per 1,000 people, but alongside China and Myanmar, its government’s use of facial recognition technology is among the most invasive. In 2019, it was confirmed that Huawei was installing surveillance equipment in cities throughout Uganda – the same year the Chinese tech giant was revealed to have helped the Ugandan government spy on its political opponents. This CCTV system is part of Huawei’s Safe City project, which has been launched in cities across at least 52 countries. Huawei has also provided training on ‘critical incident management’ to the Ugandan police force, which plans to integrate data from its CCTV systems with other government agencies.
