Is Neqab safe?
Iran · Asia · data updated 2026-09-04
Neqab is a city in Iran, home to about 184k people, and one of 6,168 cities worldwide ranked on this site from published safety data. It currently ranks 3,178 of 6,168, with a safety score of 71.8 out of 100, placing it clearly above the global midpoint.
Emergency Ambulance 115 · Fire 125 · Police 110
- US State Department: Do not travelOfficial travel advisory level 4 of 4 for Iran, updated 2025-12-04.
- UK FCDO advises against all travel to this countryOfficial UK government travel advice, updated 2026-08-13.
- Same-sex activity criminalized - death penalty in lawLaw on the books in Iran as of 2025 (OWID legal-status series) - enforcement varies, but LGBTQ+ travelers face legal risk.
- 1 airline certified in Iran is banned from EU airspaceThe EU Air Safety List (2026) names one carrier certified in Iran as failing international safety standards; other carriers certified there are not listed. This covers flights operated by Iran-certified airlines, typically domestic and regional routes; international carriers flying into Iran are certified elsewhere and are not affected.
No official source names specific areas to avoid here: travel advisories for Iran are country-level, and no published dataset covers neighborhood-level crime - so this briefing does not invent it.
How safe is Neqab really?
No published homicide figure exists for Neqab itself, so the national rate stands in: Iran recorded 2.4 homicides per 100,000 people in 2014 - close to the global city median. The city itself may be safer or more dangerous than its country's average. Iran's income inequality is middling (Gini 35.9) - 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 Iran at level 4 of 4 - "Do not travel" (updated 2025-12-04). 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 Iran
Terrorism in Iran · Leaving Iran in an emergency · Consular, welfare and family access while in detention · Protests · Activities that put you at risk · Border areas · Scams · Methanol poisoning · Money · Surrogacy and adoption · Ramadan · Dress codes · Relationships between men and women · LGBT+ relationships · +15 more
Topic headings from the official UK FCDO travel advice for Iran — country-level, not specific to Neqab. Read what each one says →
The numbers
- Homicide rate
- 2.4 /100knational rate, 2014
- Conflict deaths
- 0within 100 km, 2022-2024 (UCDP)
- Income inequality
- Gini 35.9country, 2023
- Human development
- HDI 0.799country, 2023
- Income
- $19,660/yrGNI per capita PPP · context only, not scored
- Population
- 184kurban centre · 7,990/km²
- Nearest airport
- 63 kmSabzevar National Airport (AFZ)
Straight-line distance from the city centre, not drive time. Scheduled-service airports only (OurAirports).
Country context for travelers
- Road deaths
- 21.5 /100kWHO, 2019 · often the biggest real travel risk
- Political stability
- 39/100World Bank WGI, 2024 · higher = more stable
- Rule of law
- 36/100World Bank WGI, 2024 · police and courts reliability
- Corruption perceptions
- 23/100Transparency International, 2025 · higher = cleaner
- Natural-hazard risk
- 5.8/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
- Women, Peace & Security
- 0.61Georgetown WPS Index, 2025 · 0-1, higher = better
- Air quality
- 40.2 µg/m³PM2.5 annual mean, 2023 · WHO guideline is 5
- Safely managed drinking water
- 94%of the population, 2024 · WHO/UNICEF JMP
- Healthcare capacity
- 1.8 doctors /1k1.9 hospital beds per 1,000
- Malaria
- 2 /1k at riskWHO, 2024 · listed for endemic countries only
Natural hazards in Iran
- Earthquake
- 9.3/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
- Flood
- 7.3/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
- Drought
- 6.4/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
- Tsunami
- 5.5/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
- Cyclone
- 1.6/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
Hazard types scoring under 1 out of 10 are not listed. These describe Iran as a whole, not Neqab specifically.
Same-sex sexual activity is criminalized in Iran, with the death penalty applying in law (as of 2025). This describes the law on the books, not necessarily enforcement practice.
The EU bars 1 airline certified in Iran from European airspace on safety grounds; other carriers certified there are not listed (EU Air Safety List, 2026). This concerns flights operated by Iran-certified airlines, typically domestic and regional routes, not the international carriers most visitors arrive on. See the airlines listed
All country-level figures shared by every city in Iran; 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 Neqab that gives 71.8/100. Full methodology, anchors and sources →
Neqab compared with Ashgabat
| Measure | Neqab | Ashgabat | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safety score | 71.8 | 74.7 | −2.9 — better for Ashgabat |
| Homicide ratecity-measured where published, otherwise the national rate | 2.4 /100k | 1.0 /100k | +1.4 /100k — better for Ashgabat |
| Conflict deaths within 100 km | 0 | 0 | ±0 |
| Income inequality (Gini) | 35.9 | 40.8 | −4.9 — better for Neqab |
| Human development (HDI) | 0.799 | 0.764 | +0.035 — better for Neqab |
| Road deaths | 21.5 /100k | 13.5 /100k | +8.0 /100k — better for Ashgabat |
| Rule of law | 36/100 | 33/100 | +3/100 — better for Neqab |
| Corruption perceptions | 23/100 | 17/100 | +6/100 — better for Neqab |
| Air quality (PM2.5) | 40.2 µg/m³ | 31.2 µg/m³ | +9.0 µg/m³ — better for Ashgabat |
| Natural-hazard risk | 5.8/10 | 2.8/10 | +3.0/10 — better for Ashgabat |
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 Ashgabat →
Nearby cities
- Sabzevar 71.8
- Meshkan 71.8
- Bojnurd 71.8
- Quchan 71.8
- Firuzeh 69.9
- Neyshabur 69.9
- Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 74.7
- Mashhad 69.9
See Neqab on the interactive map → · Safest cities in Asia → · Full travel briefings →