Safest cities in Haiti
8 cities with 100k+ population · data updated 2026-09-04
What official travel advice warns about
Terrorism
- Terrorism in HaitiAlthough there’s no recent history of terrorism in Haiti, attacks cannot be ruled out.
Haiti-Dominican Republic border closure
- The border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic is closed to travellers. The status of the border remains subject to change at short notice. Monitor local media for updates.
Political situation
- There are sometimes violent demonstrations, protests and roadblocks. Stay away from political rallies and crowds. Public transport is often disrupted because of blocked roads and security incidents, which can lead to fuel and food shortages.
Crime
- Criminal and gang activityTheft, including armed robbery, purse snatching and pickpocketing, is common in Haiti. Criminal and gang activity is especially common in:
- Criminal kidnapsThere is a high threat of criminal kidnaps in Haiti. Incidents of criminal kidnap can occur in any part of the country, at any time.
Laws and cultural differences
- Illegal drugs and prison sentencesPenalties for possession, use or trafficking of illegal drugs are severe. Convicted offenders can expect lengthy legal proceedings, jail sentences and fines.
- Personal IDYou should always carry proof of your identity. Keep a copy of the photo page of your passport and visa stamp separately in a safe place.
- LGBT+Local attitudes towards the LGBT+ community are mostly conservative throughout the Caribbean. In Haiti, same-sex sexual activity is legal. However, the attitude of many Haitians to the LGBT+ community is hostile.
Transport risks
- Road travelRoad travel is highly dangerous. Armed carjacking is common and criminal groups often use improvised road blocks to extort or kidnap motorists.
Extreme weather and natural disasters
- HurricanesThe Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to November. During this period, tropical storms can quickly develop into major hurricanes. Monitor local and international weather updates from the National Hurricane Center and follow the advice of local authorities, including any evacuation orders.
- EarthquakesEarthquakes are a risk in Haiti. The US Federal Emergency Management Agency website has advice about what to do before, during and after an earthquake.
Headings and opening lines from the UK FCDO “Safety and security” travel advice for Haiti, updated 2025-12-10 (Open Government Licence v3.0). Read the full advice on gov.uk →
Country figures
- Homicide rate
- 64.34 /100k2024
- Income inequality
- Gini 41.12012
- Human development
- HDI 0.5542023
- Income
- $3,130/yrGNI per capita PPP
- Road deaths
- 18.8 /100kWHO, 2019
- Political stability
- 45/100WGI, 2024 · higher = more stable
- Rule of law
- 29/100WGI, 2024
- Corruption perceptions
- 16/100Transparency Intl, 2025 · higher = cleaner
- Natural-hazard risk
- 7.6/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
- Women, Peace & Security
- 0.40GIWPS, 2025 · 0-1, higher = better
- Air quality
- 15.8 µg/m³PM2.5, 2023 · WHO guideline is 5
- Safe drinking water
- no dataof population · WHO/UNICEF JMP
- Healthcare capacity
- 0.3 doctors /1k4.9 hospital beds per 1,000
- Malaria
- 9 /1k at riskWHO, 2024 · endemic countries only
Natural hazards
- Cyclone
- 8.8/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
- Earthquake
- 8.4/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
- Flood
- 4.7/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
- Tsunami
- 4.1/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
- Drought
- 3.7/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
Hazard types scoring under 1 out of 10 are not listed.
Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Haiti (as of 2025).
How Haiti compares
| Measure | Haiti | World median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homicide rate | 64 /100k | 2.4 /100k | +62 /100k — better for World median |
| Income inequality (Gini) | 41.1 | 35.2 | +5.9 — better for World median |
| Human development (HDI) | 0.554 | 0.763 | −0.209 — better for World median |
| Road deaths | 18.8 /100k | 15.4 /100k | +3.4 /100k — better for World median |
| Rule of law | 29/100 | 52/100 | −23/100 — better for World median |
| Corruption perceptions | 16/100 | 39/100 | −23/100 — better for World median |
| Air quality (PM2.5) | 15.8 µg/m³ | 19.7 µg/m³ | −3.9 µg/m³ — better for Haiti |
| Natural-hazard risk | 7.6/10 | 3.8/10 | +3.8/10 — better for World median |
| Measure | Haiti | North America median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homicide rate | 64 /100k | 15 /100k | +49 /100k — better for North America median |
| Income inequality (Gini) | 41.1 | 41.8 | −0.7 — better for Haiti |
| Human development (HDI) | 0.554 | 0.789 | −0.235 — better for North America median |
| Road deaths | 18.8 /100k | 13.9 /100k | +4.9 /100k — better for North America median |
| Rule of law | 29/100 | 53/100 | −24/100 — better for North America median |
| Corruption perceptions | 16/100 | 40/100 | −24/100 — better for North America median |
| Air quality (PM2.5) | 15.8 µg/m³ | 14.4 µg/m³ | +1.4 µg/m³ — better for North America median |
| Natural-hazard risk | 7.6/10 | 4.0/10 | +3.6/10 — better for North 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 8 cities, safest first
- Port-au-Prince30.0 · #6036 worldwide
- Port-de-Paix28.9 · #6046 worldwide
- Cap-Haitien28.5 · #6051 worldwide
- Gonaïves27.5 · #6058 worldwide
- Jacmel23.4 · #6080 worldwide
- Petit-Goâve23.2 · #6081 worldwide
- Saint-Marc23.2 · #6082 worldwide
- Léogâne23.2 · #6083 worldwide