Top 10 Most Dangerous Cities in Europe (2022)

Do you know the most dangerous cities in Europe?

With a total population of close to 750 million, Europe is the third most populous continent after North America and Africa. And despite being the planet’s safest continent, there are still some high levels of crime scores in Europe according to Numbeo. It is advisable to take extra precautions to stay safe because some European cities can be quite dangerous.

Nevertheless, it is significantly smaller than Asia and, in particular, Africa, Paris, London, Istanbul, and Rome are just a few of the most well-known tourist destinations there, and many other smaller places offer just as many wonderful attractions.

However, It is generally safe but these major tourist destinations also frequently have high rates of violence and other types of crime that one can think about.

Most of the developed countries in the world can be found in western Europe, but eastern regions of the continent like Belarus, Albania, or Moldova have development levels more in line with those of Latin America or Asia.

One might assume that most of the cities on our list of the top 10 most dangerous cities in Europe are located in the less developed Eastern European countries.

However, the opposite is actually the truth. In fact, nine of Europe’s top ten most dangerous cities are found in more industrialized, western nations.

Prior to listing the top 10 most dangerous cities in Europe, it is critical to understand the standard used to rank these dangerous cities.

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The standard used to determine the most dangerous cities in Europe

Numbeo’s Crime Index is created using information from cities all over the world and their local residents. Two times a year, the survey is carried out. It focuses on crime trends over the previous three years, as well as problems with burglaries, thefts, robberies, and assaults in the city.

The statistics come from various sources, including surveys. These surveys use similar questions to many other scientific and governmental evaluations, and they are processed to remove anomalies or unreliable data.

What is a Dangerous and Safe City?

The most dangerous cities in Europe are cities with high crime scores of  69.45. This is a worse situation than Mexico City or So Paulo, Brazil.

Low crime rates are found in cities with a crime index value of less than 20. Examples of cities with index values below 20 are Zurich, Bern, Lugano, and Funchal in Portugal.

Top 10 Most Dangerous Cities in Europe

The table below shows the ranking order of the most dangerous cities in  Europe, the cities’ country, population, crime index score for each city, and their relative safety index scores.

1. Bradford, United Kingdom

Our list of the most dangerous cities in Europe starts with a city that is currently located in the United Kingdom. Bradford, which has a 69.45 crime index, is the riskiest city in all of Europe.

The main causes of crime in Bradford are drugs, prostitution, and violent crimes. Bradford’s downtown is the most hazardous city, but Girlington, Clayton, Little Horton, and Manningham are also quite dangerous.

Bradford was notorious for rapes and sexual assaults for a while, especially in Keighley, a Bradford neighborhood that also housed one of the many child grooming gangs that were active in the UK at the time.

By UK standards, Bradford is a relatively underdeveloped city. The government is flooding the city with funds in the hopes that providing better housing will also help to reduce the violence issue.

In Bradford, a city of 372,828 people, there were 1,724 burglaries, 2,448 vehicle crimes, 4,888 criminal mischief incidents, and 22,870 sexual offenses, and the problem is getting worse. 42% of all crimes committed in Bradford are sexual offenses.

2. Nantes, France

With a crime score of 65.77, Nantes, which is in France, is said to be the most dangerous city in France to live in and is ranked second on the list of the most dangerous cities in Europe.

Throughout the last few years, Nantes’ overall crime rate has gone up. Assaults, brawls, rapes, thefts, and break-ins are the most frequent crimes in Nantes. Particularly dangerous are the neighborhoods of Centre-Ville and Les Hauts-Pavés/Saint-Félix because of the high rate of violent crimes that take place there.

3. Catania, Italy

Piazza del Duomo with the Elephant Statue and the Cathedral of Santa Agatha in Catania in Sicily, Italy

The second largest city on Sicily’s island and the tenth largest in all of Italy is Catania. The city, which is situated at the foot of Mount Etna, has weathered numerous natural disasters, including the eruption of Etna in 1669.

Due to the late 17th-century earthquake that prompted the construction of baroque architecture in the old town area, it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The area is well-known for having high rates of auto theft in addition to general crime, and organized crime is still a significant issue in Catania. Visitors are advised to be very careful even though these are less likely to affect tourists and visitors.

The city is known for something. Those who live there run the risk of being targeted by thieves as well as tourists. You need to use caution when you are out after dark because there are many people on the streets looking to extort money from tourists.

In order to prevent the blessing of criminal ties, the catholic church in the city even outlawed the nomination of godfathers during baptisms. It is of no doubt, that Catania city is third on the list of the most dangerous cities in Europe

4. Coventry, United Kingdom

The English city (Coventry) is situated in the West Midlands, about 100 miles northwest of London. It is the twelfth-largest city in the United Kingdom and the tenth-largest in England.

St. George was born in this city, which is well-known for being one of the most dangerous cities in the UK and Europe. George died for his Christian faith and was referred to as a martyr, like many other saints.

According to popular belief, St. George was put to death during the persecution of Emperor Diocletian in the early fourth century because he refused to offer a sacrifice to idols.

But since Coventry’s crime rates are rapidly declining cause the city experienced a nearly 50% drop in crime in recent years. In 2021, there were only 15,258 crimes reported in Coventry, compared to 29,615 in 2020.

5. Marseille, France

More than 1,620,000 people live in Marseille, which is located in southern France. The city is regarded as relaxed and is well-known for its fresh fish dishes. Visitors can partake in petanque matches and partake of pastis, a French aperitif that is well-liked in the South.

The high concentration of immigrants that flock to Marseille and its surrounding regions, unfortunately, makes the region’s reputation for high drug use, which attracts various crimes like mugging and theft.

Marseille has a murder rate of 3.5 incidents per 100,000 residents, making organized crime a problem in the city as well. with a crime score of 62.88, Marseille is fifth on the list of the most dangerous cities in Europe.

6. Naples, Italy

Naples is most well-known for being close to Mount Vesuvius, the volcano that is famous for erupting and destroying the ancient Roman city of Pompeii. Since ancient times, the city has been a popular tourist destination, but crime is rampant there.

The Camorra group, a mafia-style organization engaged in a variety of criminal activities, is based in Naples. with a 62.25 percent crime score, Naples is the sixth most dangerous city in Europe with a very high rate of murder cases.

7. Birmingham, United Kingdom

Most dangerous cities in Europe: Birmingham is a significant center for culture, society, and finance and is the third-largest city in the UK. With its many museums, art galleries, entertainment venues, and other attractions, the city offers visitors plenty of ways to pass the time.

However, with a high crime score of 61.84, studies have revealed that approximately 42% of Birmingham residents feel unsafe in the city, in part because of the city’s issues with knife crime.

116.93 crimes per 1000 residents were reported in Birmingham in 2021. The second-worst robbery rate among major English cities is found in the third-largest city in terms of population, with 3.36 robberies per 1000 inhabitants.

Many areas of Birmingham are plagued by gangs and drugs, and the city has some of the highest rates of crime in the nation.

8. Craiova, Romania

In the middle of Romania is a city called Craiova. As the seat of government for Dolj County, it has a population of nearly 300,000. The city has many tourist attractions in some particularly stunning areas. Craiova does, however, have a sinister side.

The town has a reputation for being among, if not the most dangerous, in all of Romania. The crime rate is much higher than the average for the country.

With a crime score of  Craiova is known to be a dangerous city in Europe because of the following reasons:

1. unemployment rate: Because of the high unemployment rate, many people are unable to afford basic necessities like food and clothing and turn to crime.
2. poverty: Due to the high rate of poverty, some people are forced to steal or beg on the streets in order to survive
3. Interethnic strife, Drug abuse, and robbery.

9. Nice, France

The areas of Nice that are the most dangerous are those that are located outside of the city’s core, where crime rates are much higher.

Residents of these areas frequently worry that something bad will happen if they go outside at night or if they run into criminals while walking through their neighborhood. These neighborhoods are more prone to crime because there are so few police officers there.

The events of July 14, 2016, are well-remembered in Nice. 86 innocent people were killed on this day when a 19-ton cargo truck was deliberately driven into a crowd. It was a sad incident that no one will forget. but with the recent government intervention, the city is gradually reducing its level of crime rate.

10. Minsk, Belarus

Minsk is the last city in the top 10 most dangerous cities in Europe. with a crime score of 58.34, the common crimes are theft and assault. Although there isn’t much street crime in the capital of Belarus, locals feel unsafe because of harassment from both organized crime and government officials.

All US citizens have recently been advised not to travel, citing among other things the potential for harassment of foreigners by local law enforcement

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Summary

Top 10 Most Dangerous Cities in Europe

In summary, the table below shows the ranking order of the most dangerous cities in  Europe, the cities’ country, population, crime index score for each city, and their relative safety index scores.