Is Windhoek safe?
Namibia · Africa · data updated 2026-09-04
Windhoek is a city in Namibia, home to about 410k people, and one of 6,168 cities worldwide ranked on this site from published safety data. It currently ranks 5,431 of 6,168, with a safety score of 46.7 out of 100, which lands it in the middle band of the ranking.
Emergency 10111, 999, 112 (ambulance, fire, police)
- Elevated homicide rate11.21 homicides per 100,000 per year (national rate), about 4× the global city median.
- High income inequalityGini 59.1 puts Namibia in the most unequal quarter of countries - the strongest structural predictor of city violence in this dataset (street crime and robbery tend to track it).
No official source names specific areas to avoid here: travel advisories for Namibia are country-level, and no published dataset covers neighborhood-level crime - so this briefing does not invent it.
How safe is Windhoek really?
No published homicide figure exists for Windhoek itself, so the national rate stands in: Namibia recorded 11 homicides per 100,000 people in 2021 - roughly 4 times the global city median. The city itself may be safer or more dangerous than its country's average. That matters because income inequality is the strongest structural predictor of city violence in this dataset, and Namibia's Gini of 59.1 puts it in the most unequal quarter of countries - conditions under which street crime and robbery tend to be a real concern.
What the travel advisories say
The US State Department currently rates Namibia at level 2 of 4 - "Exercise increased caution" (updated 2026-05-14). The UK Foreign Office publishes travel advice for Namibia 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 Namibia
Terrorism in Namibia · Protecting yourself and your belongings · Vehicle crime · Credit card skimming · Personal ID · LGBT+ travellers · Illegal drugs and prison sentences · Wildlife, animal products and souvenirs · Using cameras in secure areas · Outdoor activities and adventure tourism · Road travel · Driving standards
Topic headings from the official UK FCDO travel advice for Namibia — country-level, not specific to Windhoek. Read what each one says →
The numbers
- Homicide rate
- 11 /100knational rate, 2021 · ~4× the global city median
- Conflict deaths
- 0within 100 km, 2022-2024 (UCDP)
- Income inequality
- Gini 59.1country, 2015
- Human development
- HDI 0.665country, 2023
- Income
- $11,260/yrGNI per capita PPP · context only, not scored
- Population
- 410kurban centre · 5,691/km²
- Nearest airport
- 43 kmHosea Kutako International Airport (WDH)
Straight-line distance from the city centre, not drive time. Scheduled-service airports only (OurAirports).
Country context for travelers
- Road deaths
- 34.8 /100kWHO, 2019 · often the biggest real travel risk
- Political stability
- 75/100World Bank WGI, 2024 · higher = more stable
- Rule of law
- 63/100World Bank WGI, 2024 · police and courts reliability
- Corruption perceptions
- 46/100Transparency International, 2025 · higher = cleaner
- Natural-hazard risk
- 4.2/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
- Women, Peace & Security
- 0.61Georgetown WPS Index, 2025 · 0-1, higher = better
- Air quality
- 14.2 µg/m³PM2.5 annual mean, 2023 · WHO guideline is 5
- Safely managed drinking water
- no dataof the population · WHO/UNICEF JMP
- Healthcare capacity
- 0.6 doctors /1k2.7 hospital beds per 1,000
- Malaria
- 7 /1k at riskWHO, 2024 · listed for endemic countries only
Natural hazards in Namibia
- Drought
- 9.4/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
- Flood
- 5.1/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
Hazard types scoring under 1 out of 10 are not listed. These describe Namibia as a whole, not Windhoek specifically.
Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Namibia (as of 2025).
All country-level figures shared by every city in Namibia; 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 Windhoek that gives 46.7/100. Full methodology, anchors and sources →
Windhoek compared with Lubango
| Measure | Windhoek | Lubango | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safety score | 46.7 | 57.6 | −10.9 — better for Lubango |
| Homicide ratecity-measured where published, otherwise the national rate | 11 /100k | 4.1 /100k | +7.1 /100k — better for Lubango |
| Conflict deaths within 100 km | 0 | 0 | ±0 |
| Income inequality (Gini) | 59.1 | 51.3 | +7.8 — better for Lubango |
| Human development (HDI) | 0.665 | 0.616 | +0.049 — better for Windhoek |
| Road deaths | 34.8 /100k | 26.1 /100k | +8.7 /100k — better for Lubango |
| Rule of law | 63/100 | 37/100 | +26/100 — better for Windhoek |
| Corruption perceptions | 46/100 | 32/100 | +14/100 — better for Windhoek |
| Air quality (PM2.5) | 14.2 µg/m³ | 19.9 µg/m³ | −5.7 µg/m³ — better for Windhoek |
| Natural-hazard risk | 4.2/10 | 6.0/10 | −1.8/10 — better for Windhoek |
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 Lubango →
Nearby cities
- Ondjiva, Angola 57.6
- Xangongo, Angola 57.6
- Menongue, Angola 57.6
- Matala, Angola 57.6
- Gaborone, Botswana 48.7
- Lubango, Angola 57.6
- Seweding, South Africa 41.4
- Moçâmedes, Angola 57.6
See Windhoek on the interactive map → · Safest cities in Africa → · Full travel briefings →