11 Most Dangerous Cities in The World 2025 – 2026
While the most dangerous cities in the world and the worst cities in the world often overlap, they are far from the same thing. Take Rio for example, one of the most dangerous, while also being one of the most fun.
This is as opposed to Suva, which is both dangerous and a Shit City. With this in mind we’ve put together the list of the 11 most dangerous cities in the world based on real homicide rates and violent crime data. This is not a feelings list. This is raw Shit City facts.
As always the list counts down from 11 to 1, with the most dangerous city on Earth at number 1.
Click to see the Port Moresby guide.
Table of Contents
11 Cape Town (Western Cape South Africa)
Cape Town regularly records extraordinarily high murder totals and violent crime overall, partly driven by gang conflict and armed robberies in many districts. Its homicide figures are among the highest for large global cities.
10 Salvador (Bahia Brazil)
Salvador appears in global danger indices with persistent violence in poorer neighborhoods and consistently elevated homicide and robbery levels.
9 Port Elizabeth (Eastern Cape South Africa)
Port Elizabeth has exceptionally high violent crime rates, including murder and armed attacks. Parts of the city are especially dangerous after dark.
8 Durban (KwaZulu Natal South Africa)
Durban’s crime index has it among the world’s most dangerous cities, with serious violent crime affecting multiple sectors of daily life.
7 Johannesburg (Gauteng South Africa)
Johannesburg consistently ranks high on global danger lists due to widespread violent crime, gang activity, and homicide rates that far exceed the global average.
6 San Pedro Sula (Cortés Honduras)
San Pedro Sula has been one of the most lethal cities globally for years thanks to gang warfare and drug-related violence, regularly placing it near the top of dangerous city rankings.
5 Tijuana (Baja California Mexico)
Tijuana often leads global homicide lists with some of the highest murder rates per 100 000 population due to cartel turf wars and organized crime clashes near the U.S. border.
4 Acapulco (Guerrero Mexico)
Once known as a holiday spot, Acapulco now records among the highest homicide rates in Mexico, largely driven by cartel conflicts and gang shootings.
3 Ciudad Juárez (Chihuahua Mexico)
Cartel violence and gang disputes keep Ciudad Juárez near the top of world violent crime lists, with homicide figures far above the global average.
2 Ciudad Victoria (Tamaulipas Mexico)
Violence in Ciudad Victoria is driven by cartel conflict, with extremely high murder rates that place it among the deadliest cities worldwide.
1 Port‑au‑Prince (Ouest Haiti)
Haiti’s capital is one of the few cities on the planet where gang rule is pervasive and violence reaches almost every neighbourhood.
Kidnappings for ransom, armed robbery and nightly gun battles are common. For many locals it’s a daily survival grind.
Click to see the worst cities in North Korea.