Sarah KhanWhat do you look for when deciding on your next travel destination? For some, it’s the city’s food or its museums; for many however, it’s a city’s safety.However, which are the safest cities in the world?
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has just released its 2019 Annual Safe Cities Index. This index, now in its third year, ranks 60 cities around the world according to how they fared on 57 indicators across four pillars: digital, infrastructure, health and personal security.
Asian Cities at the Top
In first place is Tokyo, followed by Singapore at a close second. Four out of the top 10 safest cities are within Asia, with Tokyo, Singapore and Osaka ranking within the top three. (Conversely, some of the poorest-performing cities – like Yangon and Karachi – also hail from APAC.)
Hong Kong, which was previously ranked in ninth place in 2017, was down to 20th this year following a series of anti-government protests that escalated in the past few months. This has affected its tourism figures, resulting in a drop in visitor numbers.
Image credit: Adrien Olichon (via Unsplash)
Also read: “6 out of 10 Singaporeans Feel Vacation-Deprived, According to New Study. Are You One of Them?”
Here are the top 10 safest cities in the world, according to the Safe Cities Index 2019:
- Tokyo
- Singapore
- Osaka
- Amsterdam
- Sydney
- Toronto
- Washington, DC
- Copenhagen
- Seoul
- Melbourne
Are These Safety Rankings Everything?
Globally, security is falling – rather than rising – across most cities. According to the index, the perception of safety has also changed over the years. In the face of terror attacks and climate change, the index also now factors in a city’s resilience in ‘bounc(ing) back’ after such incidents.
For the most part, these rankings are not always constant, proving how susceptible cities are to factors that affect its safety and also the relativity of such rankings. (Case in point: Hong Kong and Zurich, which were once in the top 10 previously, have dropped in rankings).
Image credit: EIU
As vital and valid such indexes like the Safety City Index are, they should not be the be-all and end-all means of how you quantify a city’s safety and consequently dictate where you choose to visit next.
Granted, while they are ranked according to valid metrics and indicators, discretion and vigilance should be exercised no matter where you travel (although admittedly more so in certain cities).
