World Safety Map

Safest cities in Brazil

170 cities with 100k+ population · data updated 2026-09-04

US 2/4 Exercise increased cautionUK FCDO advises against all but essential travel to parts of this country

Areas the UK FCDO advises against visiting

  • Amazonas State
  • along the Amazonas (Amazon) River and its tributaries west of the town of Codajás and east of the town of Belém do Solimões in Amazonas State
  • along any part of the Itaquaí River in Amazonas State
  • along any part of the Japurá River or its tributaries in Amazonas State
  • along the Rio Negro (Black River) and its tributaries north or west of the town of Barcelos in Amazonas State

In full or in part — the official advisory lists exact boundaries and exceptions.

What official travel advice warns about

Terrorism

  • Terrorism in BrazilTerrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Brazil.

Protests and civil unrest

  • Protests, demonstrations and strikes take place regularly in cities across Brazil. Even peaceful events can sometimes turn confrontational and escalate into violence. Police have used rubber bullets and tear gas extensively to disperse protesters.

Favelas

  • Favelas (‘slum’ or ‘shanty town’) are urban neighbourhoods of high-density informal housing. They exist in all major Brazilian cities and can border areas used by tourists and visitors.

Crime

  • Theft and robberyRobberies are common in many cities, particularly on buses. Thieves target mobile phones, particularly between 4pm and 9pm. Attackers may be armed and under the influence of drugs. Do not resist attackers. If threatened, hand over your valuables without resistance.
  • Criminal KidnappingShort-term opportunistic kidnapping (called ‘express kidnapping’) can happen. Victims have been kidnapped for a short period of time and driven to an ATM to withdraw money before being abandoned. Express kidnappers may use violence.
  • ScamsBank and credit card scams are common in Brazil, including card cloning from ATMs and in shops. Payment machine and beach vendor scams have also been reported, particularly in busy tourist areas, where incorrect amounts may be charged or visitors may be overcharged. Always keep sight of your card and check the amount displayed on the payment…
  • Sexual assault and drink spikingRape and other sexual offences against tourists are not common, but there have been attacks against both women and men. Some have involved date rape drugs. Buy your own drinks and keep them in sight.
  • Methanol poisoningThere have been deaths and cases of serious illness caused by alcoholic drinks containing methanol in Brazil. Take care when buying spirit-based drinks, including gin, vodka and whisky.
  • Child sexual abuseThere are cases of sexual abuse of children in Brazil. All sexual activity with children (people under the age of 18) is illegal, regardless of the age of consent locally. If you commit sex offences against children abroad, you can be prosecuted in the UK.
  • Parental child abductionParental child abduction is not common but can happen in Brazil. Dial 190 to report a missing child or go to the nearest police station. Read the guidance on international parental child abduction if your child may be at risk of this.
  • CarjackingTheft from cars is common. Keep valuables out of sight.
  • Organised crime and militiasOrganised crime groups and militias operate in Brazil, including in many cities. Armed incidents, including police operations, can occur with little warning. Be aware of your surroundings. Avoid favelas and suburbs where possible.

Laws and cultural differences

  • Personal IDAlways carry a copy of your passport and another form of photo ID if you have one.
  • Illegal drugs and trafficking scamsDrug trafficking is widespread in Brazil. Bringing drugs in to or out of Brazil in any quantity is illegal and the penalties are severe.
  • Electronic smoking devicesAll electronic cigarettes and vaping devices are illegal in Brazil, including refills, parts and accessories.
  • LGBT+ travellersThere is no legislation against same-sex sexual activity in Brazil. Same-sex marriage is legal and LGBT+ couples have equal rights in law.

Outdoor activities and adventure tourism

  • Swimming safetyStrong currents can be a danger off some beaches. Get local advice before going in the water. Pay attention to warning flags and the location of lifeguards if present on the beach.

Transport risks

  • Road travelIf you are planning to drive in Brazil, see information on driving abroad.
  • Driving standardsBrazil has a high road accident rate. Driving standards are poor. Take care on the roads and avoid riding bicycles. In many rural areas, roads are in poor condition away from the main highways. Bus and coach crashes are frequent.
  • Drink-drivingDrink-driving is a serious offence in Brazil and checkpoints are often set up. If you’re caught driving under the influence of alcohol, you will be prosecuted. Penalties range from fines and a suspension from driving for 12 months, to up to 3 years in prison.
  • Taxi travelThere have been reports of express kidnappings, assaults and robberies from unlicensed taxis, including in cars using fraudulent internet-based taxi accounts. Do not hail taxis on the street. There are authorised taxi booths at most airports in Brazil. If using ride-hailing platforms, always check the number plate and driver are the same as your…
  • Air travelIf you have been a victim of a passport theft and you need to fly to Brasilia, São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro for consular services, you can travel on domestic flights with a valid photo ID or a police report.
  • Sea travelThere have been armed and unarmed attacks on merchant vessels, including British flag vessels off the Brazilian coast and in some Brazilian ports.
  • Rail travelThere have been instances of theft and robbery on the rail network, including urban metro rail networks. Avoid wearing expensive jewellery and watches or using a mobile phone during train travel.

Extreme weather and natural disasters

  • Heavy rainfallThe rainy season runs from November until March in the south and south-east of Brazil (including Rio de Janeiro) and from April until July in the north-east of Brazil. However heavy rainfall and flooding can also occur outside of the designated rainy seasons, in any region of the country.
  • Forest firesForest fires are common from May to September, especially during July and August due to the dry season. They are highly dangerous and unpredictable. Check the latest alerts and weather forecast (in Portuguese) and follow the advice of local authorities if you’re considering travelling to affected areas.

Headings and opening lines from the UK FCDO “Safety and security” travel advice for Brazil, updated 2026-05-11 (Open Government Licence v3.0). Read the full advice on gov.uk →

Country figures

Homicide rate
18.69 /100k2024
Income inequality
Gini 50.32024
Human development
HDI 0.7862023
Income
$22,670/yrGNI per capita PPP
Road deaths
16.0 /100kWHO, 2019
Political stability
57/100WGI, 2024 · higher = more stable
Rule of law
49/100WGI, 2024
Corruption perceptions
35/100Transparency Intl, 2025 · higher = cleaner
Natural-hazard risk
4.7/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
Women, Peace & Security
0.63GIWPS, 2025 · 0-1, higher = better
Air quality
13.4 µg/m³PM2.5, 2023 · WHO guideline is 5
Safe drinking water
89%of population, 2024 · WHO/UNICEF JMP
Healthcare capacity
2.4 doctors /1k2.5 hospital beds per 1,000
Malaria
4 /1k at riskWHO, 2024 · endemic countries only

Natural hazards

Flood
7.7/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
Drought
4.5/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier

Hazard types scoring under 1 out of 10 are not listed.

Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Brazil (as of 2025).

How Brazil compares

Brazil against the median of all 180 countries in the dataset. Green means better than the median.
MeasureBrazilWorld medianDifference
Homicide rate19 /100k2.4 /100k+16 /100k — better for World median
Income inequality (Gini)50.335.2+15.1 — better for World median
Human development (HDI)0.7860.763+0.023 — better for Brazil
Road deaths16.0 /100k15.4 /100k+0.6 /100k — better for World median
Rule of law49/10052/100−3/100 — better for World median
Corruption perceptions35/10039/100−4/100 — better for World median
Air quality (PM2.5)13.4 µg/m³19.7 µg/m³−6.3 µg/m³ — better for Brazil
Natural-hazard risk4.7/103.8/10+0.9/10 — better for World median
And against its own region — often the more useful comparison, since South America shares much of the context a global median averages away.
MeasureBrazilSouth America medianDifference
Homicide rate19 /100k8.6 /100k+10 /100k — better for South America median
Income inequality (Gini)50.343.0+7.3 — better for South America median
Human development (HDI)0.7860.777+0.009 — better for Brazil
Road deaths16.0 /100k15.4 /100k+0.6 /100k — better for South America median
Rule of law49/10048/100+1/100 — better for Brazil
Corruption perceptions35/10036/100−1/100 — better for South America median
Air quality (PM2.5)13.4 µg/m³18.4 µg/m³−5.0 µg/m³ — better for Brazil
Natural-hazard risk4.7/104.0/10+0.7/10 — better for South America median

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.

All 170 cities, safest first

  1. Araraquara60.8 · #4364 worldwide
  2. Blumenau60.2 · #4421 worldwide
  3. Salto60.2 · #4424 worldwide
  4. Rio Claro59.5 · #4467 worldwide
  5. Sao Jose dos Campos58.7 · #4544 worldwide
  6. Jundiaí58.7 · #4545 worldwide
  7. Jacareí58.7 · #4546 worldwide
  8. Ribeirao Preto57.8 · #4607 worldwide
  9. Sertãozinho57.8 · #4608 worldwide
  10. Joinville57.4 · #4668 worldwide
  11. Anápolis57.2 · #4692 worldwide
  12. Piracicaba56.9 · #4704 worldwide
  13. Limeira56.9 · #4705 worldwide
  14. Franca56.8 · #4706 worldwide
  15. Sao Paulo56.7 · #4718 worldwide
  16. Santos56.7 · #4719 worldwide
  17. Praia Grande56.7 · #4720 worldwide
  18. Francisco Morato56.7 · #4721 worldwide
  19. São Carlos56.3 · #4759 worldwide
  20. Florianópolis56.0 · #4775 worldwide
  21. Montes Claros55.5 · #4828 worldwide
  22. Bauru55.4 · #4832 worldwide
  23. Americana55.1 · #4854 worldwide
  24. Taubaté55.1 · #4855 worldwide
  25. Brasilia54.8 · #4863 worldwide
  26. Valparaíso de Goiás54.8 · #4864 worldwide
  27. Sudoeste e Octogonal54.8 · #4865 worldwide
  28. Lago Norte54.8 · #4866 worldwide
  29. Recanto das Emas54.8 · #4867 worldwide
  30. Sobradinho II54.8 · #4868 worldwide
  31. Paranoá54.8 · #4869 worldwide
  32. Uberlândia54.3 · #4922 worldwide
  33. Goiânia54.2 · #4929 worldwide
  34. Londrina54.2 · #4930 worldwide
  35. Arapongas54.2 · #4931 worldwide
  36. Chapecó54.0 · #4944 worldwide
  37. Uberaba53.9 · #4950 worldwide
  38. São José do Rio Preto53.7 · #4962 worldwide
  39. Itajaí53.5 · #4981 worldwide
  40. Balneário Camboriú53.5 · #4982 worldwide
  41. Sorocaba53.4 · #4997 worldwide
  42. Itu53.4 · #4998 worldwide
  43. Curitiba53.3 · #5001 worldwide
  44. Araucária53.3 · #5002 worldwide
  45. Campinas53.2 · #5006 worldwide
  46. Indaiatuba53.2 · #5007 worldwide
  47. Juiz de Fora53.0 · #5024 worldwide
  48. Maringá52.9 · #5030 worldwide
  49. Pelotas52.7 · #5039 worldwide
  50. Santarém51.6 · #5101 worldwide
  51. Jardim Aureny III51.1 · #5124 worldwide
  52. Belo Horizonte50.6 · #5151 worldwide
  53. Campo Grande50.6 · #5152 worldwide
  54. Dourados50.4 · #5162 worldwide
  55. Cascavel49.6 · #5199 worldwide
  56. Ipatinga49.2 · #5220 worldwide
  57. Marília49.2 · #5221 worldwide
  58. Rio Verde49.2 · #5222 worldwide
  59. Sete Lagoas49.2 · #5223 worldwide
  60. Divinópolis49.2 · #5224 worldwide
  61. Águas Lindas de Goiás49.2 · #5225 worldwide
  62. Presidente Prudente49.2 · #5226 worldwide
  63. Planaltina49.2 · #5227 worldwide
  64. Araçatuba49.2 · #5228 worldwide
  65. Passo Fundo49.2 · #5229 worldwide
  66. Castanhal49.2 · #5230 worldwide
  67. Araguaína49.2 · #5231 worldwide
  68. Cachoeiro de Itapemirim49.2 · #5232 worldwide
  69. Criciúma49.2 · #5233 worldwide
  70. Rio Grande49.2 · #5234 worldwide
  71. Teixeira de Freitas49.2 · #5235 worldwide
  72. Barreiras49.2 · #5236 worldwide
  73. Paranaguá49.2 · #5237 worldwide
  74. Cidade Ocidental49.2 · #5238 worldwide
  75. Guarapuava49.2 · #5239 worldwide
  76. Jequié49.2 · #5240 worldwide
  77. Mogi Guaçu49.2 · #5241 worldwide
  78. Lages49.2 · #5242 worldwide
  79. Patos de Minas49.2 · #5243 worldwide
  80. Varginha49.2 · #5244 worldwide
  81. Poços de Caldas49.2 · #5245 worldwide
  82. Jaú49.2 · #5246 worldwide
  83. Linhares49.2 · #5247 worldwide
  84. Itapetininga49.2 · #5248 worldwide
  85. Botucatu49.2 · #5249 worldwide
  86. Corumbá49.2 · #5250 worldwide
  87. Conselheiro Lafaiete49.2 · #5251 worldwide
  88. Uruguaiana49.2 · #5252 worldwide
  89. Barretos49.2 · #5253 worldwide
  90. Birigui49.2 · #5254 worldwide
  91. Teófilo Otoni49.2 · #5255 worldwide
  92. Pouso Alegre49.2 · #5256 worldwide
  93. Apucarana49.2 · #5257 worldwide
  94. Jaraguá do Sul49.2 · #5258 worldwide
  95. Ourinhos49.2 · #5259 worldwide
  96. Tucuruí49.2 · #5260 worldwide
  97. Toledo49.2 · #5261 worldwide
  98. Catanduva49.2 · #5262 worldwide
  99. Passos49.2 · #5263 worldwide
  100. Três Lagoas49.2 · #5264 worldwide
  101. Belém48.8 · #5311 worldwide
  102. Vitória da Conquista48.8 · #5316 worldwide
  103. Santa Maria47.8 · #5363 worldwide
  104. Foz do Iguaçu47.8 · #5364 worldwide
  105. Parauapebas47.7 · #5368 worldwide
  106. Vitória47.6 · #5375 worldwide
  107. Colina de Laranjeiras47.6 · #5376 worldwide
  108. Bragança Paulista47.3 · #5392 worldwide
  109. Campina Grande47.1 · #5408 worldwide
  110. Ponta Grossa46.6 · #5438 worldwide
  111. Macaé45.6 · #5506 worldwide
  112. Rio das Ostras45.6 · #5507 worldwide
  113. Governador Valadares44.5 · #5580 worldwide
  114. Cuiabá44.4 · #5587 worldwide
  115. Itabuna43.9 · #5618 worldwide
  116. Ilhéus43.9 · #5619 worldwide
  117. Marabá43.7 · #5630 worldwide
  118. Campos dos Goytacazes42.5 · #5699 worldwide
  119. Cabo Frio42.5 · #5701 worldwide
  120. Resende42.5 · #5702 worldwide
  121. Volta Redonda42.2 · #5708 worldwide
  122. Rondonópolis42.2 · #5710 worldwide
  123. Teresópolis41.4 · #5740 worldwide
  124. Petrópolis41.3 · #5760 worldwide
  125. Sao Goncalo40.7 · #5786 worldwide
  126. Caxias do Sul40.6 · #5796 worldwide
  127. Porto Alegre40.4 · #5800 worldwide
  128. Novo Hamburgo40.4 · #5801 worldwide
  129. Gravataí40.4 · #5802 worldwide
  130. Canoas40.4 · #5803 worldwide
  131. Sapucaia do Sul40.4 · #5804 worldwide
  132. Santa Cruz do Capibaribe39.9 · #5819 worldwide
  133. Boa Vista39.7 · #5835 worldwide
  134. Ji-Paraná39.6 · #5841 worldwide
  135. Vitória de Santo Antão39.6 · #5842 worldwide
  136. Sinop38.7 · #5884 worldwide
  137. Parnaíba37.9 · #5903 worldwide
  138. Garanhuns37.6 · #5910 worldwide
  139. Natal37.6 · #5912 worldwide
  140. Juazeiro do Norte37.6 · #5913 worldwide
  141. Parnamirim37.5 · #5914 worldwide
  142. Sobral37.5 · #5917 worldwide
  143. Rio de Janeiro37.4 · #5920 worldwide
  144. Fazenda Parque Recreio37.2 · #5925 worldwide
  145. Ribeira37.2 · #5926 worldwide
  146. Caruaru36.9 · #5932 worldwide
  147. New Fribourg36.8 · #5935 worldwide
  148. Arapiraca36.8 · #5938 worldwide
  149. Aracaju35.5 · #5961 worldwide
  150. Cabo de Santo Agostinho35.2 · #5968 worldwide
  151. Recife34.8 · #5973 worldwide
  152. São Luís34.8 · #5975 worldwide
  153. Rio Branco34.2 · #5982 worldwide
  154. João Pessoa33.1 · #5997 worldwide
  155. Caxias32.4 · #6013 worldwide
  156. Alagoinhas32.0 · #6015 worldwide
  157. Macapá31.9 · #6017 worldwide
  158. Santana31.9 · #6018 worldwide
  159. Maceió31.1 · #6027 worldwide
  160. Imperatriz30.2 · #6034 worldwide
  161. Fortaleza29.8 · #6038 worldwide
  162. Porto Velho29.7 · #6039 worldwide
  163. Mossoró29.5 · #6043 worldwide
  164. Teresina29.4 · #6044 worldwide
  165. Petrolina28.1 · #6053 worldwide
  166. Manaus27.6 · #6057 worldwide
  167. Camaçari27.4 · #6059 worldwide
  168. Salvador27.4 · #6061 worldwide
  169. Simões Filho27.4 · #6062 worldwide
  170. Feira de Santana24.3 · #6077 worldwide