World Safety Map

Safest cities in Germany

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

US 2/4 Exercise increased caution

What official travel advice warns about

Terrorism

  • Terrorism in GermanyTerrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Germany.

Crime

  • Protecting yourself and your belongingsCrime levels are similar to the UK. Take sensible precautions to avoid mugging, bag-snatching and pickpocketing. Be particularly vigilant at airports, railway stations and in crowded public places or gatherings. Do not leave bags unattended.
  • Counterfeit currencyOnly change money at banks, ATMs or official money exchanges. Check your change when paying in cash. British nationals have been arrested for trying to pay with counterfeit currency.

Laws and cultural differences

  • Personal IDIt’s not a legal requirement to carry ID. However, if you cannot show ID when asked, police can escort you to get your passport.
  • Illegal drugsIllegal drugs, including cannabis, carry severe penalties. You should expect a long jail sentence and heavy fines for possessing, using or smuggling illegal drugs, including when transiting through the airport.

Outdoor activities and adventure tourism

  • HikingCheck weather forecasts and conditions and make sure you’re properly equipped for the worst-case scenario with items such as a map, compass, GPS and telecommunication equipment.
  • Winter sportsRead about preparing for winter sports abroad.

Transport risks

  • Road travelIf you are planning to drive in Germany, see information on driving abroad and check the rules of the road in the RAC’s Germany guide. The guide lists driving regulations and other legal requirements you need to be aware of.
  • Low emission zonesSome inner-city areas have an environmental zone (‘Umweltzone’). Only vehicles that meet specific exhaust emission standards can enter. See Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection for more information.

Headings and opening lines from the UK FCDO “Safety and security” travel advice for Germany, updated 2026-08-11 (Open Government Licence v3.0). Read the full advice on gov.uk →

Country figures

Homicide rate
0.92 /100k2024
Income inequality
Gini 33.72022
Human development
HDI 0.9592023
Income
$78,140/yrGNI per capita PPP
Road deaths
3.8 /100kWHO, 2019
Political stability
68/100WGI, 2024 · higher = more stable
Rule of law
85/100WGI, 2024
Corruption perceptions
77/100Transparency Intl, 2025 · higher = cleaner
Natural-hazard risk
2.4/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
Women, Peace & Security
0.87GIWPS, 2025 · 0-1, higher = better
Air quality
8.8 µg/m³PM2.5, 2023 · WHO guideline is 5
Safe drinking water
100%of population, 2024 · WHO/UNICEF JMP
Healthcare capacity
4.5 doctors /1k7.6 hospital beds per 1,000

Natural hazards

Flood
7.8/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
Earthquake
3.7/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
Drought
1.3/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier

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

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

How Germany compares

Germany against the median of all 180 countries in the dataset. Green means better than the median.
MeasureGermanyWorld medianDifference
Homicide rate0.9 /100k2.4 /100k−1.5 /100k — better for Germany
Income inequality (Gini)33.735.2−1.5 — better for Germany
Human development (HDI)0.9590.763+0.196 — better for Germany
Road deaths3.8 /100k15.4 /100k−11.6 /100k — better for Germany
Rule of law85/10052/100+33/100 — better for Germany
Corruption perceptions77/10039/100+38/100 — better for Germany
Air quality (PM2.5)8.8 µg/m³19.7 µg/m³−10.9 µg/m³ — better for Germany
Natural-hazard risk2.4/103.8/10−1.4/10 — better for Germany
And against its own region — often the more useful comparison, since Europe shares much of the context a global median averages away.
MeasureGermanyEurope medianDifference
Homicide rate0.9 /100k1.0 /100k−0.1 /100k — better for Germany
Income inequality (Gini)33.730.6+3.1 — better for Europe median
Human development (HDI)0.9590.907+0.052 — better for Germany
Road deaths3.8 /100k5.8 /100k−2.0 /100k — better for Germany
Rule of law85/10073/100+12/100 — better for Germany
Corruption perceptions77/10056/100+22/100 — better for Germany
Air quality (PM2.5)8.8 µg/m³11.8 µg/m³−3.0 µg/m³ — better for Germany
Natural-hazard risk2.4/102.5/10−0.1/10 — better for Germany

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 52 cities, safest first

  1. Hamburg85.6 · #210 worldwide
  2. Reinbek85.6 · #211 worldwide
  3. Frankfurt81.3 · #1752 worldwide
  4. Stuttgart81.3 · #1753 worldwide
  5. Nuremberg81.3 · #1754 worldwide
  6. Hanover81.3 · #1755 worldwide
  7. Dresden81.3 · #1756 worldwide
  8. Leipzig81.3 · #1757 worldwide
  9. Mannheim81.3 · #1758 worldwide
  10. Wiesbaden81.3 · #1759 worldwide
  11. Bremen81.3 · #1760 worldwide
  12. Augsburg81.3 · #1761 worldwide
  13. Karlsruhe81.3 · #1762 worldwide
  14. Bielefeld81.3 · #1763 worldwide
  15. Kassel81.3 · #1764 worldwide
  16. Freiburg im Breisgau81.3 · #1765 worldwide
  17. Kiel81.3 · #1766 worldwide
  18. Chemnitz81.3 · #1767 worldwide
  19. Magdeburg81.3 · #1768 worldwide
  20. Saale81.3 · #1769 worldwide
  21. Brunswick81.3 · #1770 worldwide
  22. Heidelberg81.3 · #1771 worldwide
  23. Lübeck81.3 · #1772 worldwide
  24. Rostock81.3 · #1773 worldwide
  25. Erfurt81.3 · #1774 worldwide
  26. Regensburg81.3 · #1775 worldwide
  27. Oldenburg81.3 · #1776 worldwide
  28. Bremerhaven81.3 · #1777 worldwide
  29. Osnabrück81.3 · #1778 worldwide
  30. Saarbruecken81.3 · #1779 worldwide
  31. Würzburg81.3 · #1780 worldwide
  32. Darmstadt81.3 · #1781 worldwide
  33. Ulm81.3 · #1782 worldwide
  34. Heilbronn81.3 · #1783 worldwide
  35. Erlangen81.3 · #1784 worldwide
  36. Göttingen81.3 · #1785 worldwide
  37. Reutlingen81.3 · #1786 worldwide
  38. Berlin78.9 · #2019 worldwide
  39. Munich78.9 · #2020 worldwide
  40. Potsdam78.9 · #2021 worldwide
  41. Essen77.5 · #2085 worldwide
  42. Cologne77.5 · #2086 worldwide
  43. Dusseldorf77.5 · #2087 worldwide
  44. Bonn77.5 · #2088 worldwide
  45. Dortmund77.5 · #2089 worldwide
  46. Wuppertal77.5 · #2090 worldwide
  47. Münster77.5 · #2091 worldwide
  48. Aachen77.5 · #2092 worldwide
  49. Mönchengladbach77.5 · #2093 worldwide
  50. Krefeld77.5 · #2094 worldwide
  51. Hagen77.5 · #2095 worldwide
  52. Koblenz77.5 · #2096 worldwide