Do Your Research and Stay Safe
Your wanderlust may take you all over the world, but it’s important to be aware of what’s happening in the cities you want to visit. Many countries have a political climate that is in constant turmoil, creating dangerous situations for both foreigners and locals.
Latin America, in particular, has a number of extremely violent cities where murder rates can top 1,000 deaths per year. While it may be unlikely that you’d be traveling to some of these destinations (unlike more popular tourist destinations that are dangerous places to travel), it’s still good to be aware of where in the world you should be steering clear of.
Stay up to date on what the most dangerous cities for tourists are, especially for American citizens, by signing up for alerts from the State Department. Unless you want to deal with any number of travel disasters while you are abroad, or potentially put your safety at risk, consider steering clear of what are the most dangerous cities in the world.
1. Aleppo, Syria
Since 2011, over 11% of Syria’s population has been injured or killed due to the ongoing civil war. Aleppo sees the greatest amount of violence from bombings, military clashes and Islamic State murders.
Over 400,000 people and counting have lost their lives during the war creating one of the greatest humanitarian crises in the last 10 years.
2. Caracas, Venezuela
Venezuela in general is one of the most violent countries in the world. Its capital city, Caracas, has a homicide rate of 116 per 100,000 people, which totals approximately 4,000 people per year.
Armed robberies and kidnappings are a consistent problem and Americans are frequently targeted, making this one of the most dangerous cities for tourists in particular.
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3. San Pedro Sula, Honduras
Although San Pedro Sula has had a significant decline in the number of homicides per year, their murder rate still stands at about 111 per 100,000 people. They previously held the distinction as the most dangerous city in the world for four consecutive years prior to 2015.
4. San Salvador, El Salvador
El Salvador is known for its prolific street gangs, who are known to murder, extort money and traffic arms and drugs throughout the capital city San Salvador. Close to 2,000 people were murdered there in 2015 and most crimes go unsolved.
5. Acapulco, Mexico
Formerly associated with beach tourism, Acapulco has become the most dangerous city in Mexico since 2012. Warring drug cartels in the area and political shifts within the country have mostly fueled Acapulco’s frequent murders and violent crime.
Beach-goers and businessmen have even taken to carrying weapons in small bags to defend themselves.
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6. Distrito Central, Honduras
Aside from the dangerous weather conditions that constantly plague the area, Honduras’ Distrito Central also has a high rate of violent crime. Comprised of two sister cities, Tegucigalpa and Comayaguela, the district has a disturbing number of street gangs and drug cartels.
Due to their constant battles with the militarized police force, it’s become an unsafe area for locals and visitors alike.
7. Valencia, Venezuela
With over 1,000 murders in 2015 alone, Valencia ranks as one of the most dangerous cities in both Latin America and the world. Most people in the area have a self-imposed curfew, locking themselves indoors when night falls to avoid becoming a victim.
Plus, you’ll want to be cautious if you’re flying into the Caracas Simon Bolivar International Airport as it’s considered to be one of the worst airports in the world.
8. Cape Town, South Africa
A report compiled by the University of Cape Town’s Centre for Criminology and a cooperative network of partners in the area found that Cape Town has the highest murder rate in South Africa. 65 people in 100,000 were murdered there in 2015 with the murder rate jumping almost 5% between 2014 and 2016.
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9. Medellin, Colombia
The most dangerous city in Colombia, Medellin’s homicide rate spiked over the summer of 2016 as rival gangs warred over drug distribution and territory. Pablo Escobar, the infamous Colombian drug lord, had his cartel’s base of operations there.
Although the murder rate is nowhere near as high as it was, it’s still extremely dangerous, especially for foreigners.
10. Fortaleza, Brazil
According to a report by the Citizen Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice in Mexico, Brazil has the highest number of dangerous cities in the world. Fortaleza ranked first in terms of murders per capita although there are many more incidents of theft there than violent crime.
Express kidnappings where a person is forced to withdraw money from an ATM, are a frequent occurrence in the area.
11. Natal, Brazil
In August 2016, the Brazilian government sent 1,200 troops to Natal to deal with civil unrest and gang uprisings due to government restrictions. Natal has been ranked as one of the most dangerous cities in the world by the United Nations based on a murder rate of about 61 per 100,000 people.
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12. St. Louis, MO, USA
St. Louis was named the murder capital of the United States in 2016 when the FBI released its findings from the Uniform Crime Report. There were approximately 50 murders per 100,000 people in 2015 among a population that has a little over 300,000 people.
13. Gaziantep, Turkey
Located along the Syrian border, Gaziantep has one of the largest Syrian refugee camps. Aside from violence in the camps, there have also been a number of suicide bombings in the area by the Islamic State.
These groups target any large gatherings where they can do the most damage, specifically to Americans.
14. Culiacán, Mexico
A headquarters for the Sinaloa cartel, Culiacán is a particularly violent drug hub where Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman holed up for years. Most murders in the city are drug-related and commonly accepted as the way the cartel solves their problems.
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15. Maceio, Brazil
Located on the east coast of Brazil, Maceio is the capital of the Alagoas region and one of the most violent cities in the country. Maceio saw over 500 murders last year, but few actual convictions.
16. Baltimore, MD, USA
The overall violent crime rate for Baltimore is around 1,400 per 100,000 residents, which includes murder, armed robbery and rape. High rates of poverty and drug abuse contribute to the crime rate along with corrupt city officials and continuous clashes with police due to brutality claims.
17. Barquisimeto, Venezuela
Another one of the major cities in Venezuela alongside Caracas, Barquisimeto attracts a high number of murders and kidnappings from street gangs and cartels. Barquisimeto is a college town so students are particularly at risk both on an everyday basis and in clashes with police during anti-crime protests.
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18. Guatemala City, Guatemala
Someone is killed in Guatemala City every 90 minutes according to a report by the Daily Mail. Over 60% of people own a gun in the country and most people, including children, have become used to the daily violence.
Murders here are particularly disturbing because gang members often leave body parts in plain view as a warning to others.
19. New Orleans, LA, USA
There were 164 murders in New Orleans, LA in 2015, but 54 in 1,000 residents were the victims of a crime. Frequently in the top five most dangerous U.S. cities, New Orleans also has one of the highest poverty rates in the country making it a hotbed for desperation-triggered criminal activity.
20. Mosul, Iraq
Currently, the Islamic State has control of Mosul and is involved in a bloody battle with Iraqi troops. U.S. citizens are urged to avoid travel to Iraq in general, but especially areas like Mosul where Americans are frequently kidnapped and murdered.
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21. Nassau, Bahamas
While it is a relatively popular cruise destination for tourists, in 2015 Nassau saw their murder rate increase by 22%. Violent criminal activity may take place in broad daylight and in tourist areas such as beaches, hotels and nightclubs, although most of it occurs south of the downtown area.
22. Detroit, MI, USA
Detroit sees over 13,000 violent crimes per year. There’s about a one in 50 chance of becoming the victim of a crime especially in the inner-city and southern neighborhoods.
Although the crime rate has seen improvement, there are still a large number of homicides, especially among the black community.