A recent survey shows travelers in which European cities people feel safe and in which they should walk the streets with caution. Many popular EU capitals may be quite dangerous.
The "Numbeo" database wanted to find out where people live with fear and where they feel safe as part of a large survey. More than 100,000 people took part in the survey about their personal feeling of safety. "Numbeo" evaluated the answers and used them to create the "Crime Index 2023" for 152 European cities.
The ranking was created using several criteria and is based exclusively on the subjective perceptions of the participants. Therefore, the ranking should be taken with a pinch of salt.
UK City Takes the 1st Place
According to the survey, Bradford in the English county of Yorkshire is considered the most dangerous city in Europe. People consider drug trafficking and consumption and the associated criminal activities to be particularly problematic. The fear of theft is also comparatively high in Bradford.
The coastal city of Marseille in the south of France came in second in this year's inglorious ranking. Here, too, drug-related crimes are responsible for many people feeling unsafe. Added to this is bloody gang crime, which cost 32 people their lives last year alone.
Catania in Sicily is also one of the most dangerous cities in Europe. It comes in third in the ranking, with widespread corruption playing a key role in its poor performance.
How Safe Are EU Capitals
What may be surprising for potential travelers, several popular EU capitals reached high rankings in the survey as to the perceived lack of security. Paris, for instance, reached the 13th worst position, Athens is 14th, Brussels is 17th, and famous London is 19th. The capitals of central Europe on the other hand can be found in the second half of the ranking – Budapest (91st), Bratislava (105th), Vienna (121st), and Prague (134th).
The 10 Most Dangerous Cities in Europe:
- Bradford, UK
- Marseille, France
- Catania, Italy
- Coventry, UK
- Nantes, France
- Birmingham, UK
- Naples, Italy
- Montpellier, France
- Liège, Belgium
- Nice, France