Interesting... I recently moved to the USA from Israel and was astounded by the fact that front door locks are openable from the inside without any key, and use the simple rotating handle lock that's easily pickable.
In Israel we use steel doors with sturdy locks for homes, which require a key from the inside. In high crime areas there is usually an additional latch. We usually keep a key inside the lock from the inside to allow for opening the door from the inside.