While quantifying the total number of surveillance cameras in the world remains an almost impossible task, IHS Markit suggested that there would be around 1 billion surveillance cameras worldwide

This visualization, via Visual Capitalist, ranks major global cities by the number of CCTV cameras per 1,000 people using data from Comparitech, showing where surveillance is most concentrated.

China is the most-surveilled nation overall, with 700 million cameras (494 per 1,000 people), though per-city data is unavailable. That’s almost one camera for every two people.

While China yet again dominates this study for its vast surveillance tactics, there are other countries whose surveillance tactics are of growing concern, including several Indian, Russian, and South Korean cities, Lahore, Kabul, Singapore, London, Istanbul, New York, and Los Angeles.

Indian cities dominate the rankings, with Hyderabad (79 cameras per 1,000 people) leading globally.

Eight of the top 10 cities are Asian.

The other two most surveilled cities are in Russia.

London is the top 'western' nation on the list with 13.4 cameras per 1,000 people) with New York City topping the list for American cities with 10.12 cameras per 1,000 people).

A number of cities have added (or are adding and/or are encouraging businesses/private residents to add) private surveillance cameras to police networks as part of crime-fighting initiatives. In some cases, these cameras are mapped so police can see where security cameras are and can request footage accordingly. In other cases, police are being given direct access to live feeds from these cameras.

So, where cameras had previously been used for private security purposes only, thousands of these are now being accessed by police, which poses a significant risk to civilians’ privacy.