Most Dangerous Cities Ranking: Can You Trust It?

If you’re a keen traveler, a post doing the rounds on social media about the top most dangerous cities in the world features fifty of them. South Africa has an unfortunate number of cities listed. And  yet, other countries that seem likely candidates for the list don’t feature. Read on to find out what it’s all about and if you can believe the figures.

The Global Rankings

The global ranking of the world’s “most dangerous” cities started a lot of debate about whether the figures are true or not. In particular, chatter arrived about South Africa. The thing is, that perhaps folks don’t understand how the list is derived.

Actually, it’s based on the Numbeo Crime Index. Notably, the scores are not entirely based on official homicide rates. Instead, online respondents complete surveys based on their own perceptions and personal experiences. Still, it placed five South African cities right up there in the top 10.

The Cities Involved

The cities include Pietermaritzburg (1st, 82.7), Pretoria (2nd, 81.8), Johannesburg (5th, 80.8), Durban (6th, 80.4), and Port Elizabeth (8th, 78.3). Clearly, the results do suggest a high level of insecurity in South Africa’s urban centres.

Ranking those figures, being in the 80s, Pietermaritzburg and Pretoria which sit near the top give other places with a rep for crime a run for their money. For example, Caracas, Venezuela sits in fourth place. Meanwhile, San Pedro Sula, Honduras is seventh, and Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea surprisingly sits at third place. Memphis, in the USA features in the top ten and is followed by Salvador in Brazil.

If you look at the entire list, South Africa seems to top most other countries. If you include Cape Town, ranked at 16th, the country is represented six times. Naturally, it contrasts strongly with the country tourism sector that promotes itself as a leading African destination.

Can You Rely On The Ranking?

Notably, the list does the rounds soon after Zimbabwe, South Africa’s northern neighbor, was named by Forbes as the top global destination in 2025. Naturally, on social media, some South Africans feel a bit miffed about it, However, the choice could have been made because overall, the country seems much safer with a lower crime rate.

 

When @adventurousdani shared the list on Instagram, it became clear that the rankings can’t be relied on to rate the safety of a country or city. When they shared the post, they wrote:

I’ve been to 10 of those, and I haven’t felt unsafe in the areas I’ve been. Honestly, cities can be a mixed bag, you can walk a few blocks and the vibe totally changes. But from what I’ve seen, most places feel a lot safer than people make them sound. Obviously, everyone’s experience is different, but my experience has been positive.

Many people agreed that it all seems very unreliable when it come to the top most dangerous cities . Here are a few responses from the discussion that followed:

• Cape Town? I spent early two weeks in Cape Town, it was fantastic!
• I got surprised how Somalia, South Sudan, Lybia, Sudan, Burkina Faso or Chad are not in there LOL.
• Been to 11 of them, lived in two of them. All good in the hood.
• [South Africans] always win! Rugby, Cricket and Crime. Amazing.

Off The List

Interesting, those countries mentioned in the comments that are not there probably don’t feature because they simply aren’t massively popular destinations. Bear in mind, the list is based on replies to questions about safety, fear of mugging, worries about property crime, and corruption levels. As it reflects a personal experience, it’s not a direct substitute for audited statistics used by governments or international bodies.

While the inclusion of major South African cities are at the top, it should be remembered that they are huge metropolitan areas, with a wide ranging social status. But if nothing else, the list of the top most dangerous cities does highlight the power of impressions. For tourists and investors, the perceptions can end up as a huge ‘no no.’

Location Is Important

While South Africa is a lovely country, it seems that the government has a long way to go to swing perceptions of danger to personal safety. But the bottom line is, like any city in the world, if you go to the wrong places, you might end up involved in gang violence or the possibility of encountering violent crime.

In fact, look at it this way. In South Africa, statistically, hippos cause more deaths by animals than any other species. So, striking the city of Pretoria off your list because you might get killed by a hippo seems a bit silly, really.

What are your thoughts? Would you drop a destination off your itinerary based on the list of the top most dangerous cities in the world? Let us know in the comments below, and remember to come back here often for all your travel news and updates.