Is Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk safe?
Russia · Europe · data updated 2026-09-04
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is a city in Russia, home to about 128k people, and one of 6,168 cities worldwide ranked on this site from published safety data. It currently ranks 3,940 of 6,168, with a safety score of 65.4 out of 100, placing it clearly above the global midpoint.
Emergency 112 (ambulance, fire, police)
- US State Department: Do not travelOfficial travel advisory level 4 of 4 for Russia, updated 2025-12-28.
- UK FCDO advises against all travel to this countryOfficial UK government travel advice, updated 2026-07-03.
- Elevated homicide rate7.82 homicides per 100,000 per year (national rate), about 3× the global city median.
- 22 airlines certified in Russia are banned from EU airspaceThe EU Air Safety List (2026) names 22 carriers certified in Russia as failing international safety standards; other carriers certified there are not listed. This covers flights operated by Russia-certified airlines, typically domestic and regional routes; international carriers flying into Russia are certified elsewhere and are not affected.
No official source names specific areas to avoid here: travel advisories for Russia are country-level, and no published dataset covers neighborhood-level crime - so this briefing does not invent it.
How safe is Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk really?
No published homicide figure exists for Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk itself, so the national rate stands in: Russia recorded 7.8 homicides per 100,000 people in 2024 - roughly 3 times the global city median. The city itself may be safer or more dangerous than its country's average. Russia's income inequality is middling (Gini 33.0) - 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 Russia at level 4 of 4 - "Do not travel" (updated 2025-12-28). 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 Russia
Terrorism in Russia · Terrorism in the North Caucasus · Security situation in Russia · Land border crossings · Staying in Russia · Russia’s invasion of Ukraine · Military activity in Kursk Oblast · Foreign fighters · Risk of arrest and detention · Getting help while in detention · Restrictions on publishing and distributing information · International sanctions against Russia · Protests and demonstrations · Protecting your belongings · +28 more
Topic headings from the official UK FCDO travel advice for Russia — country-level, not specific to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Read what each one says →
The numbers
- Homicide rate
- 7.8 /100knational rate, 2024 · ~3× the global city median
- Conflict deaths
- 0within 100 km, 2022-2024 (UCDP)
- Income inequality
- Gini 33.0country, 2023
- Human development
- HDI 0.832country, 2023
- Income
- $49,220/yrGNI per capita PPP · context only, not scored
- Population
- 128kurban centre · 3,367/km²
- Nearest airport
- 7 kmYuzhno-Sakhalinsk International Airport (UUS)
Straight-line distance from the city centre, not drive time. Scheduled-service airports only (OurAirports).
Country context for travelers
- Road deaths
- 12.0 /100kWHO, 2019 · often the biggest real travel risk
- Political stability
- 50/100World Bank WGI, 2024 · higher = more stable
- Rule of law
- 37/100World Bank WGI, 2024 · police and courts reliability
- Corruption perceptions
- 22/100Transparency International, 2025 · higher = cleaner
- Natural-hazard risk
- 3.8/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
- Women, Peace & Security
- 0.72Georgetown WPS Index, 2025 · 0-1, higher = better
- Air quality
- 11.6 µg/m³PM2.5 annual mean, 2023 · WHO guideline is 5
- Safely managed drinking water
- 76%of the population, 2024 · WHO/UNICEF JMP
- Healthcare capacity
- 5.1 doctors /1k6.8 hospital beds per 1,000
Natural hazards in Russia
- Flood
- 8.4/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
- Drought
- 5.8/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
- Earthquake
- 4.2/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
- Tsunami
- 4.1/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
- Cyclone
- 2.2/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
Hazard types scoring under 1 out of 10 are not listed. These describe Russia as a whole, not Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk specifically.
Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Russia (as of 2025).
The EU bars 22 airlines certified in Russia from European airspace on safety grounds; other carriers certified there are not listed (EU Air Safety List, 2026). This concerns flights operated by Russia-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 Russia; 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 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk that gives 65.4/100. Full methodology, anchors and sources →
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk compared with Sapporo
| Measure | Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk | Sapporo | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safety score | 65.4 | 91.4 | −26.0 — better for Sapporo |
| Homicide ratecity-measured where published, otherwise the national rate | 7.8 /100k | 0.2 /100k | +7.6 /100k — better for Sapporo |
| Conflict deaths within 100 km | 0 | 0 | ±0 |
| Income inequality (Gini) | 33.0 | 32.3 | +0.7 — better for Sapporo |
| Human development (HDI) | 0.832 | 0.925 | −0.093 — better for Sapporo |
| Road deaths | 12.0 /100k | 3.6 /100k | +8.4 /100k — better for Sapporo |
| Rule of law | 37/100 | 83/100 | −46/100 — better for Sapporo |
| Corruption perceptions | 22/100 | 71/100 | −49/100 — better for Sapporo |
| Air quality (PM2.5) | 11.6 µg/m³ | 11.5 µg/m³ | +0.1 µg/m³ — better for Sapporo |
| Natural-hazard risk | 3.8/10 | 2.0/10 | +1.8/10 — better for Sapporo |
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 Sapporo →
Nearby cities
- Asahikawa, Japan 91.4
- Sapporo, Japan 91.4
- Obihiro, Japan 91.4
- Kushiro, Japan 91.4
- Tomakomai, Japan 91.4
- Komsomolsk-on-Amur 65.4
- Hakodate, Japan 91.4
- Khabarovsk 65.4
See Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on the interactive map → · Safest cities in Europe → · Full travel briefings →