Is Port of Spain safe?
Trinidad and Tobago · North America · data updated 2026-09-04
Port of Spain is a city in Trinidad and Tobago, home to about 478k people, and one of 6,168 cities worldwide ranked on this site from published safety data. It currently ranks 5,419 of 6,168, with a safety score of 46.8 out of 100 - mid-table: neither the data for concern nor the data for reassurance dominates.
Emergency Ambulance 811 · Fire 990 · Police 999
- US State Department: Reconsider travelOfficial travel advisory level 3 of 4 for Trinidad and Tobago, updated 2026-04-12.
- Very high homicide rate78.2 homicides per 100,000 per year (city-measured), about 29× the global city median.
- Same-sex activity criminalizedLaw on the books in Trinidad and Tobago as of 2025 (OWID legal-status series) - enforcement varies, but LGBTQ+ travelers face legal risk.
No official source names specific areas to avoid here: travel advisories for Trinidad and Tobago are country-level, and no published dataset covers neighborhood-level crime - so this briefing does not invent it.
How safe is Port of Spain really?
The most direct evidence is measured in the city itself: Port of Spain recorded 78 homicides per 100,000 residents in 2024 - roughly 29 times the global city median. Trinidad and Tobago's income inequality is middling (Gini 40.2) - 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 Trinidad and Tobago at level 3 of 4 - "Reconsider travel" (updated 2026-04-12). The UK Foreign Office publishes travel advice for Trinidad and Tobago without any avoid-travel warning in force. 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 Trinidad and Tobago
Terrorism in Trinidad and Tobago · Protecting yourself and your belongings · Drug assisted robbery and sexual assault · Carnival and other large-scale events · Drink spiking · Outdoor activities and adventure tourism · Laws on clothing · Illegal drugs penalties · LGBT+ travellers · Trespassing · Road travel · Driving standards and road conditions · Hurricanes · Earthquakes · +1 more
Topic headings from the official UK FCDO travel advice for Trinidad and Tobago — country-level, not specific to Port of Spain. Read what each one says →
The numbers
- Homicide rate
- 78 /100kcity-measured, 2024 · ~29× the global city median
- Conflict deaths
- 0within 100 km, 2022-2024 (UCDP)
- Income inequality
- Gini 40.2country, 1992
- Human development
- HDI 0.807country, 2023
- Income
- $36,080/yrGNI per capita PPP · context only, not scored
- Population
- 478kurban centre · 3,125/km²
- Nearest airport
- 13 kmPiarco International Airport (POS) · also TAB, 86 km
Straight-line distance from the city centre, not drive time. Scheduled-service airports only (OurAirports).
Country context for travelers
- Road deaths
- 9.3 /100kWHO, 2019 · often the biggest real travel risk
- Political stability
- 72/100World Bank WGI, 2024 · higher = more stable
- Rule of law
- 51/100World Bank WGI, 2024 · police and courts reliability
- Corruption perceptions
- 41/100Transparency International, 2025 · higher = cleaner
- Natural-hazard risk
- 2.9/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
- Women, Peace & Security
- 0.69Georgetown WPS Index, 2025 · 0-1, higher = better
- Air quality
- 13.8 µg/m³PM2.5 annual mean, 2023 · WHO guideline is 5
- Safely managed drinking water
- 69%of the population, 2024 · WHO/UNICEF JMP
- Healthcare capacity
- 4.2 doctors /1k2.4 hospital beds per 1,000
Natural hazards in Trinidad and Tobago
- Earthquake
- 5.9/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
- Cyclone
- 5.7/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
- Drought
- 2.8/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
Hazard types scoring under 1 out of 10 are not listed. These describe Trinidad and Tobago as a whole, not Port of Spain specifically.
Same-sex sexual activity is criminalized in Trinidad and Tobago (as of 2025). This describes the law on the books, not necessarily enforcement practice.
All country-level figures shared by every city in Trinidad and Tobago; 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 Port of Spain that gives 46.8/100. Full methodology, anchors and sources →
Port of Spain compared with Ciudad Guayana
| Measure | Port of Spain | Ciudad Guayana | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safety score | 46.8 | 50.5 | −3.7 — better for Ciudad Guayana |
| Homicide ratecity-measured where published, otherwise the national rate | 78 /100k | 22 /100k | +57 /100k — better for Ciudad Guayana |
| Conflict deaths within 100 km | 0 | 0 | ±0 |
| Income inequality (Gini) | 40.2 | 44.7 | −4.5 — better for Port of Spain |
| Human development (HDI) | 0.807 | 0.709 | +0.098 — better for Port of Spain |
| Road deaths | 9.3 /100k | 39.0 /100k | −29.7 /100k — better for Port of Spain |
| Rule of law | 51/100 | 19/100 | +32/100 — better for Port of Spain |
| Corruption perceptions | 41/100 | 10/100 | +31/100 — better for Port of Spain |
| Air quality (PM2.5) | 13.8 µg/m³ | 19.2 µg/m³ | −5.4 µg/m³ — better for Port of Spain |
| Natural-hazard risk | 2.9/10 | 6.4/10 | −3.5/10 — better for Port of Spain |
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 Ciudad Guayana →
Nearby cities
- Chaguanas 46.8
- Tucupita, Venezuela 53.7
- Carúpano, Venezuela 51.8
- Maturin, Venezuela 52.4
- Porlamar, Venezuela 51.8
- Chirica Vieja, Venezuela 50.5
- Cumana, Venezuela 49.5
- Ciudad Guayana, Venezuela 50.5
See Port of Spain on the interactive map → · Safest cities in North America → · Full travel briefings →