Safest cities in the world – ranked

Ranking the safest cities in the world, according to the latest Safe Cities Index report from The Economist Intelligence Unit.

The Safe Cities Index is a report from the UK-based Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). The report, now in its third iteration, ranks a diverse range of 60 major cities from around the world using 57 indicators covering digital security, health security, infrastructure security and personal security. 

More than 56% of the world’s population live in cities. By 2050, this is expected to increase to 68%, which reflects a faster rise in urbanisation than previously predicted.

The process of urbanisation is happening most noticeably in developing countries. The report suggests the challenges of urbanisation could cause significant human and economic issues if not dealt with effectively.

The report is designed to provide a detailed “benchmarking tool that measures a wide range of security inputs and results to help cities provide security for their residents, businesses and visitors”.

Key findings from the report

• Tokyo in Japan is the safest city in the world for the third time in a row.
• Lagos in Nigeria is the most unsafe city assessed.
• Asia-Pacific cities dominate the ranking with six of the top 10 in the region.
• The Dutch city of Amsterdam (4th) is the safest city in Europe, followed by Copenhagen in Denmark (tied 8th).
• Of the 14 European cities in the Index, only Istanbul and Moscow fall below the average score of 71.2.
• Toronto in Canada is the safest city in the Americas.
• The only US city in the top 10 is the capital Washington DC (7th), although Chicago just missed out in 11th place.
• At the other end of the spectrum Caracas in Venezuala (59th), Yangon in Myanmar (58th), Karachi in pakistan (57th) and Dhaka in Bangladesh (56th) join Lagos among the least safe cities.

Safest cities in the world – complete ranking

The table below ranks 60 of the world’s cities according to safety.

Rank	City	Score
1	Tokyo, Japan	92.00
2	Singapore, Singapore	91.50
3	Osaka, Japan	90.90
4	Amsterdam, Netherlands	88.00
5	Sydney, Australia	87.90
6	Toronto, Canada	87.80
7	Washington DC, USA	87.60
8	Copenhagen, Denmark	87.40
8	Seoul, South Korea	87.40
10	Melbourne, Australia	87.30
11	Chicago, USA	86.70
12	Stockholm, Sweden	86.50
13	San Francisco, USA	85.90
14	London, UK	85.70
15	New York, USA	85.50
16	Frankfurt, Germany	85.40
17	Los Angeles, USA	85.20
18	Wellington, New Zealand	84.50
18	Zurich, Switzerland	84.50
20	Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR	83.70
21	Dallas, USA	83.10
22	Taipei, Taiwan	82.50
23	Paris, France	82.40
24	Brussels, Belgium	82.10
25	Madrid, Spain	81.40
26	Barcelona, Spain	81.20
27	Abu Dhabi, UAE	79.50
28	Dubai, UAE	79.10
29	Milan, Italy	78.10
30	Rome, Italy	76.40

Average: 71.2

31	Beijing, China	70.50
32	Shanghai, China	70.20
33	Santiago, Chile	69.80
34	Buenos Aires, Argentina	69.70
35	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	66.30
36	Istanbul, Turkey	66.10
37	Moscow, Russia	65.80
38	Kuwait City, Kuwait	64.50
39	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia	62.50
40	Mexico City, Mexico	61.60
41	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	60.90
42	Sao Paulo, Brazil	59.70
43	Manila, Philippines	59.20
44	Johannesburg, South Africa	58.60
45	Lima, Peru	58.20
45	Mumbai, India	58.20
47	Bangkok, Thailand	57.60
47	Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam	57.60
49	Baku, Azerbaijan	56.40
50	Quito, Ecuador	55.30
51	Bogota, Colombia	55.10
52	New Delhi, India	55.00
53	Jakarta, Indonesia	54.50
54	Casablanca, Morocco	53.50
55	Cairo, Egypt	48.60
56	Dhaka, Bangladesh	44.60
57	Karachi, Pakistan	43.50
58	Yangon, Myanma	41.90
59	Caracas, Venezuela	40.10
60	Lagos, Nigeria	38.10

Source: Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)