TOP 10 Most Dangerous and Safest Countries and Cities in the World in 2026

The international portal Numbeo, the largest crowdsourced database on quality of life and crime levels, has published its Crime Index for 2026, identifying the most dangerous and safest countries and cities in the world.

Most Dangerous and Safest Countries

The most dangerous country in the world is Papua New Guinea. It is followed by Venezuela, Haiti, Afghanistan, and South Africa. The top ten countries with the highest crime rates and lowest safety levels also include Honduras, Trinidad and Tobago, Syria, Jamaica, and Guyana.

The most criminal country in Europe is France, and in Southeast Asia – Myanmar. In the post-Soviet space, the highest danger level is recorded in Kyrgyzstan.

The safest country in the world is the United Arab Emirates. The global top also includes Qatar, Andorra, Taiwan, Macau (China), Oman, the Isle of Man, Hong Kong (China), Armenia, and Bahrain.

The safest country in North America is Canada, in South America – Panama, in Africa – Ghana, in Central Asia – Uzbekistan, and in the Pacific region – Indonesia.

Most Dangerous and Safest Cities

Half of the ten most criminal cities in the world are located in South Africa. Two of them lead the anti-ranking: Pietermaritzburg and Pretoria. They are followed by Caracas (Venezuela), Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea), and Johannesburg (South Africa). The top ten criminal capitals of the world also include Durban (South Africa), San Pedro Sula (Honduras), Port Elizabeth (South Africa), Memphis (USA), and Salvador (Brazil).

The most dangerous city in Europe is Marseille (France), in the Middle East – Damascus (Syria), in Central Asia – Dhaka (Bangladesh), in Southeast Asia – Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), and in the post-Soviet space – Odessa (Ukraine).

The safest city in the world is Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates). The top ten cities with the lowest crime include Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman (both UAE), Doha (Qatar), Sharjah, Dubai (both UAE), Taipei (Taiwan), Muscat (Oman), The Hague (Netherlands), and Tampere (Finland).

A “safety island” in North America is Quebec (Canada), in South America – Cuenca (Ecuador), in Africa – Rabat (Morocco), in Central Asia – Tashkent (Uzbekistan), in the Pacific region – Canberra (Australia), and in the post-Soviet space – Tartu (Estonia).


The Numbeo Crime Index is a perception-based crime index derived from surveys of residents and visitors to cities and countries. It reflects subjective feelings of safety, the risk of encountering crimes, and the perception of overall law and order. The index is useful for comparing general trends and assessing relative safety, but it does not replace official crime statistics.