Safest cities in Hong Kong
1 city with 100k+ population · data updated 2026-09-04
What official travel advice warns about
Terrorism
- Terrorism in Hong KongTerrorist attacks in Hong Kong cannot be ruled out.
Political situation
- Protests and civil unrestBetween 2019 and 2020, large-scale political demonstrations took place in Hong Kong, including popular tourist areas. There were some violent clashes between police and protesters.
Crime
- Protecting yourself and your belongingsViolent crime is low but pickpocketing and other street crime can happen. Take extra care of passports, credit cards and money in crowded areas and when checking in and out of hotels.
- Drink spiking and sexual assaultPersonal attacks, including sexual assaults, are rare but do happen, including by drink spiking. Do not leave drinks unattended and do not accept drinks from strangers. Women travelling alone, or with other females, could be at greater risk. See advice for women travelling abroad.
Laws and cultural differences
- National security lawsThe 2020 National Security Law (NSL) includes offences such as:
- Criticising the governmentSome people have been prosecuted for publishing or supporting statements that are critical of the Hong Kong or Chinese authorities, including online. You could also be prosecuted for supporting individuals who are considered to be breaking national security laws.
- Immigration OrdinanceThe Immigration (Amendment) Ordinance came into force in 2021. Under this law, people could be stopped from leaving the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR). However, the Hong Kong SAR government has said these powers will only be used to stop certain asylum seekers from entering Hong Kong.
- Public offencesYou can get on-the-spot fines for littering, jay walking or spitting.
- Wildlife, animal products and souvenirsIt is illegal to import and re-export elephant ivory and its products, including tourist souvenirs. You could get a fine or prison sentence.
- Illegal drugsAvoid any involvement with illegal drugs, including cannabis. All cannabis products are illegal in Hong Kong, including CBD (cannabidiol) items such as oils, creams, capsules, and food products.
- Taking photographs in secure areasDo not take photographs of military installations.
Transport risks
- Road travelIf you are visiting, you can drive in Hong Kong with a valid UK driving licence for up to 12 months.
Extreme weather and natural disasters
- TyphoonsTyphoon season runs from May to November in Hong Kong and may cause flooding and landslides. Follow any local warnings issued in advance. Public offices and public transport will shut down when there is a ‘Typhoon 8’ storm signal.
Headings and opening lines from the UK FCDO “Safety and security” travel advice for Hong Kong, updated 2026-04-01 (Open Government Licence v3.0). Read the full advice on gov.uk →
Country figures
- Homicide rate
- 0.38 /100k2023
- Income inequality
- no data
- Human development
- HDI 0.9552023
- Income
- $88,500/yrGNI per capita PPP
- Road deaths
- no dataWHO
- Political stability
- 77/100WGI, 2024 · higher = more stable
- Rule of law
- 73/100WGI, 2024
- Corruption perceptions
- 76/100Transparency Intl, 2025 · higher = cleaner
- Natural-hazard risk
- no dataEU INFORM · higher = riskier
- Women, Peace & Security
- 0.81GIWPS, 2025 · 0-1, higher = better
- Air quality
- no dataPM2.5 · WHO guideline is 5
- Safe drinking water
- 100%of population, 2024 · WHO/UNICEF JMP
- Healthcare capacity
- 1.3 doctors /1k4.9 hospital beds per 1,000
Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Hong Kong (as of 2025).
How Hong Kong compares
| Measure | Hong Kong | World median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homicide rate | 0.4 /100k | 2.4 /100k | −2.0 /100k — better for Hong Kong |
| Income inequality (Gini) | no data | 35.2 | — |
| Human development (HDI) | 0.955 | 0.763 | +0.192 — better for Hong Kong |
| Road deaths | no data | 15.4 /100k | — |
| Rule of law | 73/100 | 52/100 | +21/100 — better for Hong Kong |
| Corruption perceptions | 76/100 | 39/100 | +37/100 — better for Hong Kong |
| Air quality (PM2.5) | no data | 19.7 µg/m³ | — |
| Natural-hazard risk | no data | 3.8/10 | — |
| Measure | Hong Kong | Asia median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homicide rate | 0.4 /100k | 1.8 /100k | −1.4 /100k — better for Hong Kong |
| Income inequality (Gini) | no data | 33.5 | — |
| Human development (HDI) | 0.955 | 0.766 | +0.189 — better for Hong Kong |
| Road deaths | no data | 15.1 /100k | — |
| Rule of law | 73/100 | 52/100 | +21/100 — better for Hong Kong |
| Corruption perceptions | 76/100 | 35/100 | +42/100 — better for Hong Kong |
| Air quality (PM2.5) | no data | 27.6 µg/m³ | — |
| Natural-hazard risk | no data | 3.7/10 | — |
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.
All 1 cities, safest first
- Hong Kong95.6 · #6 worldwide