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Scared of surveillance? Here's where Big Brother is watching, according to a new report

China, the United States and Germany have topped the list of countries with the largest number of surveillance cameras in the world.

And while China leads by numbers – with four times more surveillance cameras installed in its territory than the US – the latter has more closed circuit TV cameras per capita than anywhere else in the world, according to a new report by IT company Precise Security.

China has at least 200 million cameras installed in the country.

"People often label China as a Security state, when in fact, the USA has more Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) cameras per capita. Regarding the number of cameras per person, the United States remains a clear leader," the company said.

Eight of the top 10 cities in the world with the largest number of surveillance cameras installed are located in China, while London and New Delhi were the other two cities among the top 10.

South Africa did not feature on the list.

Per capita, the United States has 15.28 CCTV cameras every 100 individuals, followed by China with 14.36 and the United Kingdom with 7.5.

Other top 10 countries include Germany with 6.27 cameras per 100 individuals, Netherlands 5.8, Australia 4, Japan 2.72, France 2.46 and South Korea with 1.99.

* Compiled by Marelise van der Merwe

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