World Safety Map

Safest cities in Yemen

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

US 4/4 Do not travelUK FCDO advises against all travel to this country

What official travel advice warns about

Terrorism

  • Terrorism in YemenTerrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Yemen.
  • Terrorist kidnapThere is a very high and constant threat of kidnap across Yemen.

Political situation

  • The political and security situation in Yemen remains uncertain and volatile.

Crime

  • Regularly reassess your security arrangements and carefully plan your movements if travelling within Yemen. Avoid keeping the same routine by changing routes you use and keeping a low profile at all times. Follow health and security advice given by Yemen authorities and security experts before any travel in the country. Always check routes in…

Laws and cultural differences

  • RamadanRamadan is a holy month for Muslims. The dates vary by year and country and you should check this before you travel. During this time, do not:
  • Dress codeMen and women must wear loose-fitting clothing that covers down to the elbow and reaches below the knees. You should also:
  • Alcohol lawsDo not drink alcohol in public.
  • Using cameras in secure areasTaking pictures in or around military sites is likely to result in arrest and arbitrary detention. British consular services will not be able to offer support in this situation.
  • LGBT+ travellersConsensual same-sex relations are illegal in Yemen, with penalties including fines, corporal punishment, imprisonment and the death penalty.
  • AntiquitiesYou must get permission from the General Authority for Antiquities before exporting or removing antiques from Yemen. It’s illegal to remove or sell Yemeni antiques without permission.

Transport risks

  • Road travelIf you are planning to drive in Yemen, see information on driving abroad.
  • Driving conditionsDriving standards are poor and mountain roads are dangerous. Avoid all road travel outside the main cities at night. Landmines from the current and previous conflicts are a risk on Yemen’s roads. Make sure to go with an experienced guide if you’re travelling off well-used tracks.
  • Air travelYemen’s airspace is currently controlled by Saudi-led coalition forces. Prior permission from the coalition must be obtained before flying.
  • Sea travelThe conflict extends to Yemeni territorial waters off the Red Sea and the Bab-Al Mandab Strait. Houthi forces present an ongoing risk to all shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab-Al Mandab Strait due to the potential for misidentification and miscalculation by Houthi forces.
  • PiracyPiracy in the Gulf of Aden continues to be a threat. For more information and advice, see piracy and armed robbery at sea.

Extreme weather and natural disasters

  • Tropical cyclonesTropical cyclones sometimes affect parts of the country. Monitor local and international weather updates.

Headings and opening lines from the UK FCDO “Safety and security” travel advice for Yemen, updated 2026-07-31 (Open Government Licence v3.0). Read the full advice on gov.uk →

Country figures

Homicide rate
5.81 /100k2013
Income inequality
Gini 36.72014
Human development
HDI 0.4702023
Income
$3,020/yrGNI per capita PPP
Road deaths
29.4 /100kWHO, 2019
Political stability
19/100WGI, 2024 · higher = more stable
Rule of law
24/100WGI, 2024
Corruption perceptions
13/100Transparency Intl, 2025 · higher = cleaner
Natural-hazard risk
7.7/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
Women, Peace & Security
0.32GIWPS, 2025 · 0-1, higher = better
Air quality
46.8 µg/m³PM2.5, 2023 · WHO guideline is 5
Safe drinking water
no dataof population · WHO/UNICEF JMP
Healthcare capacity
0.1 doctors /1k0.5 hospital beds per 1,000
Malaria
52 /1k at riskWHO, 2024 · endemic countries only

Natural hazards

Flood
5.9/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
Drought
4.2/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
Tsunami
3.6/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
Cyclone
3.5/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
Earthquake
1.7/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier

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

Same-sex sexual activity is criminalized in Yemen, with the death penalty applying in law (as of 2025). This describes the law on the books, not necessarily enforcement practice.

How Yemen compares

Yemen against the median of all 180 countries in the dataset. Green means better than the median.
MeasureYemenWorld medianDifference
Homicide rate5.8 /100k2.4 /100k+3.4 /100k — better for World median
Income inequality (Gini)36.735.2+1.5 — better for World median
Human development (HDI)0.4700.763−0.293 — better for World median
Road deaths29.4 /100k15.4 /100k+14.0 /100k — better for World median
Rule of law24/10052/100−28/100 — better for World median
Corruption perceptions13/10039/100−26/100 — better for World median
Air quality (PM2.5)46.8 µg/m³19.7 µg/m³+27.1 µg/m³ — better for World median
Natural-hazard risk7.7/103.8/10+3.9/10 — better for World median
And against its own region — often the more useful comparison, since Asia shares much of the context a global median averages away.
MeasureYemenAsia medianDifference
Homicide rate5.8 /100k1.5 /100k+4.3 /100k — better for Asia median
Income inequality (Gini)36.733.4+3.3 — better for Asia median
Human development (HDI)0.4700.771−0.301 — better for Asia median
Road deaths29.4 /100k14.9 /100k+14.5 /100k — better for Asia median
Rule of law24/10052/100−28/100 — better for Asia median
Corruption perceptions13/10037/100−24/100 — better for Asia median
Air quality (PM2.5)46.8 µg/m³26.7 µg/m³+20.1 µg/m³ — better for Asia median
Natural-hazard risk7.7/103.6/10+4.1/10 — better for Asia 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 45 cities, safest first

  1. Fuwwah61.8 · #4294 worldwide
  2. Mukalla61.8 · #4295 worldwide
  3. Shihr61.8 · #4296 worldwide
  4. Tarim58.8 · #4535 worldwide
  5. Say'un58.8 · #4536 worldwide
  6. `Amran48.9 · #5303 worldwide
  7. Ma`bar48.5 · #5332 worldwide
  8. Sana'a48.4 · #5339 worldwide
  9. Khamir47.0 · #5412 worldwide
  10. Ar Rujum46.6 · #5434 worldwide
  11. Bajil46.6 · #5437 worldwide
  12. Hodeidah46.1 · #5463 worldwide
  13. Bayt Sa`dan45.7 · #5489 worldwide
  14. Bayt al Faqih45.6 · #5504 worldwide
  15. 'Adan45.5 · #5511 worldwide
  16. Dhamar45.5 · #5512 worldwide
  17. Al Qal`ah45.5 · #5514 worldwide
  18. Bi'r Rubak45.4 · #5519 worldwide
  19. Shi`b al Ghayl45.3 · #5520 worldwide
  20. Mawza`45.3 · #5526 worldwide
  21. Yarim44.7 · #5567 worldwide
  22. Al Mahabishah44.6 · #5568 worldwide
  23. Al Jarrahi44.6 · #5574 worldwide
  24. `Abs44.6 · #5576 worldwide
  25. Hajja44.3 · #5594 worldwide
  26. Ja`ar44.2 · #5603 worldwide
  27. Rihab44.0 · #5611 worldwide
  28. Khayran44.0 · #5616 worldwide
  29. Madinat Lab'ūs43.9 · #5620 worldwide
  30. Ar Rawnah43.4 · #5643 worldwide
  31. `Adan Barakah43.4 · #5647 worldwide
  32. Hayfan43.3 · #5655 worldwide
  33. Hawrah43.2 · #5656 worldwide
  34. Sa`dah43.2 · #5657 worldwide
  35. Ad Dala43.1 · #5663 worldwide
  36. Zalmat Hubaysh43.1 · #5664 worldwide
  37. Ar Rijad43.0 · #5667 worldwide
  38. Ibb43.0 · #5668 worldwide
  39. Manazil Baradan43.0 · #5670 worldwide
  40. Al Misrakh43.0 · #5672 worldwide
  41. Al Majidi43.0 · #5673 worldwide
  42. Rada`43.0 · #5674 worldwide
  43. Ta'izz42.9 · #5675 worldwide
  44. Al `Udayn42.9 · #5677 worldwide
  45. Ash Shajarah42.8 · #5679 worldwide