Is Birni N'Konni safe?
Niger · Africa · data updated 2026-09-04
Birni N'Konni is a city in Niger, home to about 164k people, and one of 6,168 cities worldwide ranked on this site from published safety data. It currently ranks 3,955 of 6,168, with a safety score of 65.3 out of 100, placing it clearly above the global midpoint.
Emergency Ambulance 15 · Fire 18 · Police 17
- US State Department: Do not travelOfficial travel advisory level 4 of 4 for Niger, updated 2025-10-30.
- UK FCDO advises against all travel to this countryOfficial UK government travel advice, updated 2026-08-29.
No official source names specific areas to avoid here: travel advisories for Niger are country-level, and no published dataset covers neighborhood-level crime - so this briefing does not invent it.
How safe is Birni N'Konni really?
No published homicide figure exists for Birni N'Konni itself, so the national rate stands in: Niger recorded 4.4 homicides per 100,000 people in 2012 - close to the global city median. The city itself may be safer or more dangerous than its country's average. Niger's income inequality is middling (Gini 32.9) - in this dataset inequality predicts city violence better than any other structural factor, so this neither raises nor lowers the picture much.
What the travel advisories say
The US State Department currently rates Niger at level 4 of 4 - "Do not travel" (updated 2025-10-30). The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to this country. Both advisories are country-level: no official source publishes verified neighborhood-level crime guidance for individual cities, which is why this page reports named areas only where an official source names them.
What to watch out for in Niger
Terrorism in Niger · Terrorist kidnap · Security situation in Niger · Political situation · Criminal kidnapping · Scams · Personal ID · Ramadan · Using cameras in secure areas · LGBT+ travellers · Road travel · Road safety · Public transport · Air travel · +1 more
Topic headings from the official UK FCDO travel advice for Niger — country-level, not specific to Birni N'Konni. Read what each one says →
The numbers
- Homicide rate
- 4.4 /100knational rate, 2012
- Conflict deaths
- 0within 100 km, 2022-2024 (UCDP)
- Income inequality
- Gini 32.9country, 2021
- Human development
- HDI 0.419country, 2023
- Income
- $2,150/yrGNI per capita PPP · context only, not scored
- Population
- 164kurban centre · 12,589/km²
- Nearest airport
- 98 kmSadiq Abubakar III International Airport (SKO) · in Nigeria
Straight-line distance from the city centre, not drive time. Scheduled-service airports only (OurAirports).
Country context for travelers
- Road deaths
- 25.5 /100kWHO, 2019 · often the biggest real travel risk
- Political stability
- 36/100World Bank WGI, 2024 · higher = more stable
- Rule of law
- 41/100World Bank WGI, 2024 · police and courts reliability
- Corruption perceptions
- 31/100Transparency International, 2025 · higher = cleaner
- Natural-hazard risk
- 7.8/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
- Women, Peace & Security
- 0.49Georgetown WPS Index, 2025 · 0-1, higher = better
- Air quality
- 65.2 µg/m³PM2.5 annual mean, 2023 · WHO guideline is 5
- Safely managed drinking water
- no dataof the population · WHO/UNICEF JMP
- Healthcare capacity
- 0.0 doctors /1k0.3 hospital beds per 1,000
- Malaria
- 305 /1k at riskWHO, 2024 · listed for endemic countries only
Natural hazards in Niger
- Flood
- 6.6/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
- Drought
- 5.9/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
Hazard types scoring under 1 out of 10 are not listed. These describe Niger as a whole, not Birni N'Konni specifically.
Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Niger (as of 2025).
All country-level figures shared by every city in Niger; none of them affect the safety score.
How the score works
One fixed, calibrated mix for every city: 40% homicide · 25% peace · 25% equality · 10% HDI. Homicide and conflict deaths are measured outcomes; income inequality carries the structural share because it predicts real city violence far better than national income (which is shown above but scored at zero). Each factor maps to 0-100 against fixed anchors, missing data drops out and is never estimated, and cities with data behind less than half the weighting get “no data” instead of a score. For Birni N'Konni that gives 65.3/100. Full methodology, anchors and sources →
Birni N'Konni compared with Sokoto
| Measure | Birni N'Konni | Sokoto | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safety score | 65.3 | 52.0 | +13.3 — better for Birni N'Konni |
| Homicide ratecity-measured where published, otherwise the national rate | 4.4 /100k | 16 /100k | −11 /100k — better for Birni N'Konni |
| Conflict deaths within 100 km | 0 | 6 | −6 — better for Birni N'Konni |
| Income inequality (Gini) | 32.9 | 33.9 | −1.0 — better for Birni N'Konni |
| Human development (HDI) | 0.419 | 0.560 | −0.141 — better for Sokoto |
| Road deaths | 25.5 /100k | 20.7 /100k | +4.8 /100k — better for Sokoto |
| Rule of law | 41/100 | 40/100 | +1/100 — better for Birni N'Konni |
| Corruption perceptions | 31/100 | 26/100 | +5/100 — better for Birni N'Konni |
| Air quality (PM2.5) | 65.2 µg/m³ | 65.7 µg/m³ | −0.5 µg/m³ — better for Birni N'Konni |
| Natural-hazard risk | 7.8/10 | 7.2/10 | +0.6/10 — better for Sokoto |
Differences are plain arithmetic between the two stored figures — nothing is modelled. Country-level rows describe the two countries, not the cities themselves. Full report for Sokoto →
Nearby cities
- Amarawa, Nigeria 57.3
- Madaoua 65.3
- Sokoto, Nigeria 52.0
- Tahoua 53.5
- Dogondoutchi 56.8
- Argungu, Nigeria 52.0
- Mafara, Nigeria 45.0
- Dakoro 65.3
See Birni N'Konni on the interactive map → · Safest cities in Africa → · Full travel briefings →