Crime in South Africa remained a massive problem. "The Economist" reported the killing of approximately 1,500 white farmers in attacks since 1991, and in both 1995 and 1998, the country led the world in reported murders. In an effort to combat the alarming murder rates, the government published statistics showing a steady, albeit tiny decrease in the murder rate since 1994; however this varied across the country. In 2001, a South African was more likely to be murdered than die in a car crash.