evidence: 6. Belfast, Northern Ireland (3.3 homicides per 100,000 people) Belfast is the largest city in Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. In 2010, Belfast reported a homicide rate of 3.3, which was calculated from nine murders, given Belfast's relatively small population of around 286,000. This crime rate, however, is part of a trend that shows a decreasing rate of homicide in Northern Ireland. During "the Troubles" of the 1970s and 80s, the crime rate in Northern Ireland was closer to 31 per 100,000, which is similar to the homicide rate that could be found in Colombia or South Africa during the early 2010s.