European Cities with the Highest Crime Rates

The Numbeo service has updated its data on the crime index for European cities in 2025. The «most dangerous» European cities (with the highest Crime Index) are predominantly British and French: Bradford leads the ranking, followed by Marseille and Coventry.

Numbeo’s Crime Index provides an assessment of the overall crime level in a specific city. According to this source, the crime level scale is as follows: below 20 — very low; 20 to 40 — low; 40 to 60 — moderate; 60 to 80 — high; above 80 — very high.

Top 10 European Cities with the Highest Crime Index in 2025

Now, let’s do a brief overview of the cities on this list.

1. Bradford, United Kingdom

Bradford is a major city in northern England. With a crime index of 66, it faces significant issues with physical assaults, armed robberies, and anti-social behavior. Socio-economic challenges, such as high unemployment and poverty, contribute to the activity of street gangs and drug trafficking. Despite its apparent appeal, safety remains a serious concern for Bradford residents, with many feeling unsafe in certain parts of the city.

2. Marseille, France

Marseille, France’s second-largest city and its oldest, with a history spanning over 2,600 years, is also a major port city. Its high crime rate is driven by socio-economic inequality, poverty, drug trafficking, migration flows, and a high concentration of migrants. Marseille has earned the unfortunate nickname of the «center of the French drug industry.»

Common crimes include pickpocketing, theft, car break-ins, and drug-related offenses. The city also sees significant gang activity, with gangs engaging in robberies, drug trafficking, and occasional shootouts with each other or authorities.

3. Coventry, United Kingdom

Located in central England in the West Midlands region, Coventry is known for its automotive industry. Common crimes include drug trafficking, theft, robberies, and violent offenses. Street gangs remain active, often recruiting young people due to high poverty and unemployment rates.

4. Birmingham, United Kingdom

Birmingham, the UK’s second-largest city after London, was once a hub of the Industrial Revolution. Despite its high crime rate, it remains a popular tourist destination known for its vibrant culture and nightlife.

The most common crimes are violent and sexual offenses, followed by theft, robberies, and car theft. Drug trafficking and street gangs are also persistent issues.

5. Naples, Italy

Naples, Italy’s third-largest city after Rome and Milan, is the capital of the Campania region, situated on the Tyrrhenian Sea. Known for its pizza, historic center, and proximity to Vesuvius, Campania is also the birthplace of the Camorra, the Italian mafia.

Crimes in Naples are often linked to mafia activities, including smuggling, corruption, extortion, and organized crime, alongside pickpocketing, robberies, and car theft. While Naples is a popular tourist destination and generally safe for visitors, pickpocketing is the most common crime tourists may encounter. Naples ranks fifth due to organized crime, but this has minimal impact on tourism.

6. Liège, Belgium

Liège, the capital of Liège Province in Wallonia, Belgium, is located on the Meuse River, about 90 km east of Brussels. Common crimes include theft, robberies, and drug trafficking.

7. Montpellier, France

Montpellier, the capital of the Hérault department and the second-largest city in the Occitanie region in southern France, is located 12 km from the Mediterranean coast. Its historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is known for its narrow streets and medieval buildings.

Montpellier is a popular tourist destination and is safe with certain precautions, such as avoiding petty theft, staying cautious in less affluent areas, and avoiding certain places at night. Common crimes include pickpocketing, robberies, car theft, and drug trafficking.

8. Grenoble, France

Grenoble, the capital of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in southeastern France, lies at the foot of the Alps between the Drac and Isère rivers. A significant textile industry center in the Middle Ages and a hub of the French Resistance during World War II, Grenoble was named the «French Silicon Valley» in early 2024 and listed among France’s most desirable cities to live in.
Common crimes include theft, robberies, and drug trafficking, with the latter fueled by proximity to Marseille, a hub for drug-related crime for decades.

9. Nantes, France

Nantes, a city in western France and a key cultural hub in the Pays de la Loire region, ranks among the top 10 European cities with high crime levels in 2025, with a crime index of around 59, nearing the boundary between moderate and high. Common crimes include theft, robberies, and drug trafficking. Despite these challenges, Nantes remains a popular tourist destination. Visitors are advised to take standard precautions, especially at night and in less busy areas.

10. Paris, France

Paris, the capital of France, is one of the world’s most famous and visited cities, hosting tens of millions of tourists annually and serving as the host of the 33rd Summer Olympic Games in 2024.

Safety issues have long been a concern in Paris. Some crime reports refer to it as the «city of love, lights, and theft,» highlighting its primary crime issue.

Common crimes include pickpocketing and petty theft (especially in tourist areas), fraud, car theft and break-ins, violent crimes, and drug-related offenses. Cybercrime is also on the rise, a trend seen globally. Additionally, France has faced a growing terrorist threat in recent years, though this is a common concern across Western and Southern Europe.

While Paris sees a wide range of crimes, most occur in less affluent areas. Tourists are most likely to encounter petty theft and fraud, which can be avoided by following basic safety measures.

Afterword

Despite being listed among Europe’s 10 most dangerous cities, most of these cities remain popular with tourists due to their historical and cultural attractions. The quality of life in these cities is generally high, with serious crimes concentrated in socio-economically disadvantaged areas. Tourists are advised to:

• Avoid unsafe neighborhoods at night.
• Keep valuables in secure places.
• Stay vigilant in public transport and crowded areas.