Safest cities in Austria
5 cities with 100k+ population · data updated 2026-09-04
What official travel advice warns about
Terrorism
- Terrorism in AustriaTerrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Austria.
Political demonstrations
- Demonstrations may happen with little or no warning in cities. Follow the advice of local authorities.
Crime
- Protecting your belongingsTake care on public transport and in crowded city centres, including main stations. Be particularly careful with your belongings on international trains and when you take your baggage from trains and coaches.
- Drink spikingDrinks served in bars overseas are often stronger than those in the UK. Be careful about taking drinks from strangers or leaving your drinks unattended. Criminals have robbed and assaulted people after spiking their drinks.
Laws and cultural differences
- Personal IDBy law, you must always have easy access to your passport. If you do not carry your passport, you must be able to get it quickly. It can be helpful to carry a copy of the photo page. The Austrian authorities do not accept a UK driving licence as official ID.
- Illegal drugsIllegal drugs, including cannabis, carry severe penalties.
- Face-covering banIt’s generally illegal to wear any clothing or object in public that covers your face. You could get a fine of up to 150 euros. See information on Austria’s face-covering ban, including a list of exemptions.
- Public transportYou must validate your ticket in a ticket machine before starting a journey on public transport. If you do not, you could get a 100 to 500 euro on-the-spot fine.
Outdoor activities and adventure tourism
- SkiingSee preparing for winter sports abroad.
Transport risks
- Road travelIf you are planning to drive in Austria, see information on driving abroad and check the rules of the road in the RAC’s Austria guide. The guide lists driving regulations and other legal requirements you need to be aware of.
- Motorway tollsAll vehicles on motorways and expressways in Austria are subject to tolls. If you use Austrian motorways, you must display a vignette (sticker) inside your windscreen. You could get a fine if you do not.
Headings and opening lines from the UK FCDO “Safety and security” travel advice for Austria, updated 2026-08-11 (Open Government Licence v3.0). Read the full advice on gov.uk →
Country figures
- Homicide rate
- 0.99 /100k2024
- Income inequality
- Gini 31.22023
- Human development
- HDI 0.9302023
- Income
- $77,010/yrGNI per capita PPP
- Road deaths
- 4.9 /100kWHO, 2019
- Political stability
- 74/100WGI, 2024 · higher = more stable
- Rule of law
- 86/100WGI, 2024
- Corruption perceptions
- 69/100Transparency Intl, 2025 · higher = cleaner
- Natural-hazard risk
- 2.5/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
- Women, Peace & Security
- 0.90GIWPS, 2025 · 0-1, higher = better
- Air quality
- 10.0 µg/m³PM2.5, 2023 · WHO guideline is 5
- Safe drinking water
- 99%of population, 2024 · WHO/UNICEF JMP
- Healthcare capacity
- 5.5 doctors /1k6.7 hospital beds per 1,000
Natural hazards
- Flood
- 7.2/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
- Earthquake
- 3.9/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
- Drought
- 1.7/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
Hazard types scoring under 1 out of 10 are not listed.
Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Austria (as of 2025).
How Austria compares
| Measure | Austria | World median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homicide rate | 1.0 /100k | 2.4 /100k | −1.4 /100k — better for Austria |
| Income inequality (Gini) | 31.2 | 35.2 | −4.0 — better for Austria |
| Human development (HDI) | 0.930 | 0.763 | +0.167 — better for Austria |
| Road deaths | 4.9 /100k | 15.4 /100k | −10.5 /100k — better for Austria |
| Rule of law | 86/100 | 52/100 | +34/100 — better for Austria |
| Corruption perceptions | 69/100 | 39/100 | +30/100 — better for Austria |
| Air quality (PM2.5) | 10.0 µg/m³ | 19.7 µg/m³ | −9.7 µg/m³ — better for Austria |
| Natural-hazard risk | 2.5/10 | 3.8/10 | −1.3/10 — better for Austria |
| Measure | Austria | Europe median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homicide rate | 1.0 /100k | 1.0 /100k | +0.0 /100k |
| Income inequality (Gini) | 31.2 | 30.6 | +0.6 — better for Europe median |
| Human development (HDI) | 0.930 | 0.907 | +0.023 — better for Austria |
| Road deaths | 4.9 /100k | 5.8 /100k | −0.9 /100k — better for Austria |
| Rule of law | 86/100 | 73/100 | +13/100 — better for Austria |
| Corruption perceptions | 69/100 | 56/100 | +14/100 — better for Austria |
| Air quality (PM2.5) | 10.0 µg/m³ | 11.8 µg/m³ | −1.8 µg/m³ — better for Austria |
| Natural-hazard risk | 2.5/10 | 2.5/10 | ±0.0/10 |
Medians, not means, so one extreme country cannot drag the reference value. Each row compares only the countries that have a published figure for that measure, and differences are plain arithmetic between stored values.