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Crime in Lisbon, Portugal

Crime rates in Lisbon, Portugal

Level of crime
28.67 Low
Crime increasing in the past 3 years
57.67 Moderate
Worries home broken and things stolen
29.21 Low
Worries being mugged or robbed
34.38 Low
Worries car stolen
27.46 Low
Worries things from car stolen
43.06 Moderate
Worries attacked
25.81 Low
Worries being insulted
24.52 Low
Worries being subject to a physical attack because of your skin colour, ethnic origin or religion
13.55 Very Low
Problem people using or dealing drugs
38.49 Low
Problem property crimes such as vandalism and theft
40.73 Moderate
Problem violent crimes such as assault and armed robbery
27.09 Low
Problem corruption and bribery
55.42 Moderate

Safety in Lisbon, Portugal

Safety walking alone during daylight
88.14 Very High
Safety walking alone during night
65.12 High

Contributors: 218

Last update: April 2018

These data are based on perceptions of visitors of this website in the past 3 years.

If the value is 0, it means it is perceived as very low, and if the value is 100, it means it is perceived as very high.

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13 Comments so far

#lorango on Feb 16, 2018 :
It's one of the most safe cities in Europe. I live here since i was a kid, all good. Outside central lisbon is even more safe, because there are no pick pockets.

-Clavier, that's BS. Maybe you should check statistics, i live in lisbon for years. It's the most secure in western europe and it's after iceland in the list. Pickpockets and fake druggies appeared because of EU and influx of tourists. Pickpockets are a problem that should be fixed in europe, ofc.
#Zen on Feb 16, 2018 :
Lots of fake replies here and trolls. Anyway, apart from the weird fella selling you leafs, it's very safe and locals can speak english well, so if you cant speak the language it's fine. People are friendly as well.
#northern on Feb 16, 2018 :
#a.girl, what a liar. That's absolutely not true. Some portuguese guy must have dumped you. Get over it!
#northern on Feb 16, 2018 :
Definitely safe city, there might be some romanian pickpockets around but the police were very competent and helpful.
#Robert on Jan 09, 2018 :
Re: #Paul, #a.girl
I think, you meant "Porto"(and not "Portal"), Paul.
#a.girl: You say "Men insult women(...)behave unrespectfully...
Well, I can tell you, women are not the ONLY victims of violence and disrespect.
I'd been a victim of FEMALE VIOLENCE/BULLYING for a large part of my life!!
So let's not be a (female)shovinistics, please! Democracy doesn't work here!
Anyway, I agree with both of you to a large degree. I come from Europe and I came to New Zealand from Poland/Germany 16 years ago. However I visited Europe last time between 2012 and 2014. And I can tell you, if anything changed over there, is only INTO WORSE!
Now, as I've already mentioned I live on the Southern Hemisphere and I think I'm gonna cross Portugal off my list of places I want to visit in the near future (or even retire later on).
After reading your posts I'm a bit confused now whether Brazil is safer than Portugal or the other way around (I mean Porto Alegre for example) as I speak Portuguese well.
By the way, I still don't think that Lisbon is more dangerous than Warsaw/Poland -really!
However, now I'm seriously thinking about going to South America -not to Europe!...
#Paul on Jan 21, 2017 :
In the Lisbon and Portal expect to be approached by "drug" dealers approximately every 30 seconds. They will spot you from a hundred metres away then walk towards you. The tourist information tells you that it is not really drugs but cooking herbs. Maybe it is. Maybe it isn't. No doubt the police are corrupt and don't care. There is even a man dressed as a Rabbi who tries to sell you drugs in the square. The drug dealers don't care if you're old or young, a man or woman. One drug dealer I said no to, muttered "I will kill you" as he left. How nice. I felt like pushing him into the sea. If you are not polite to them they may follow you just to show how tough and "above the law" they are. One grabbed my shoulder. I said "don't touch me" and he thew his "marujana" or herbs or whatever at me. I'm not sure why the police don't do more? Maybe its good for tourism to have drug dealers. It has been suggested that some of these people are not Portuguese but Moroccan immigrants. Well, Portugal is a poor country so you can't blame people for trying to make money out of the comparatively rich tourists. But it still pisses me off!
#a.girl on Dec 29, 2016 :
Yes, it is not that safe in Lisbon. Some of my colleagues have been mugged in city centre, I also heard about more serious assaults. In Lisbon there are many problematic neighborhoods to where better not to go even during daylight. Men insult women in summer dresses, behave unrespectfully.
Moreover in Lisbon they do not like foreigners, I mean at all, even tourists and even in tourist sites. They will try to trick you in the restaurants, will be rude to you. Try to avoid using local taxi, taxi drivers are just the rudest and quite violent.
#Chris on Nov 23, 2016 :
Loads of in your face begging, selling drugs and not giving up even with very, very firm no's. Zero police seen in a week around the centre and none of this controlled. Almost got mugged in broad daylight if not for a local coming out of their apartment and saw crews of pickpockets queuing for the tram. If the police actually do something it could be a great city.
#Canadian tourist on Nov 02, 2016 :
Sketchy! Downtown Lisbon by Rossio square. Thugs will try to sell you drugs and when you say no and walk away they will come back threatening you for money. I was eating at an outdoor restaurant when two thugs came about forcing me to give them money or an ultimatum. The waiters did nothing explained that the gang runs the street and the police won't do nothing because they're corrupt! Stay away from these low lives. Don't even talk to the thugs nor give eye contact. They are there to scam tourists! I've been to many dangerous parts of the word and never experienced this! I've got a rotten taste in my mouth!
#Clavier on Oct 25, 2016 :
Really depends:
If you are a tourist and therefore in the touristic areas (central Lisbon e.g. Marques de Pombal etc...) then you shouldn't have any problems. Anything outside of the tourist areas personally I would say is pretty unsafe. Lisbon is called a very secure city because of its tourist areas but the non tourist areas are not secure at all. People mostly get around via bus so I would recommend you do the same.
Essentially stick to central Lisbon and you'll be fine
(Also btw the drivers here are complete shit so watch out for that too)
#André on Apr 21, 2016 :
I'd say crime in Lisbon is pretty moderate for a European capital city.

I lived in Lisbon for a couple of months in 2015, and besides all the drug dealers trying really hard to sell you what they tell you is coke, marijuana and what not it is quite a safe city. I did however get robbed from my cellphone and 5€ one night when I was walking down Avenida Almirante Reis alone and intoxicated, but on the other hand I have forgotten my keys and my tuxedo a couple of times at local bars, nightclubs and restaurants and all I had to do was to go back the day after to get it back, no problem.

As for assaults and other types of crimes, I wouldn't worry too much. When Sweden won against Portugal in the U21 European Football Championship I walked around the city wearing a Swedish football shirt and a Swedish flag wrapped around my neck. I even went celebrating in that outfit in Bairro Alto at numerous night clubs and all I got was three comments and loads of congratulations. When I walked down the same street I got robbed at wearing a bed sheet wrapped around my body as a toga and a tree branch in my hair people asked if Jesus had come to town and everyone were simply having a good night.
#Ed S. on Aug 18, 2015 :
There are very little racism and hate crimes. There are some, but there's no city without idiots (it's an unfortunate thing that idiots are allowed to walk in lisbon - There are a quite a lot of 'em in government now)
The drug sidewalk thing is just for someone who can't distinguish the real deal and the tea. The street sellers are mostly gypsies and are actually selling you tea and telling you it's drugs, otherwise they'd be in jail. Sometimes they end up in jail for selling tea instead of drugs but the police can't hold them forever on those grounds.
Ah, and they sell coke too. but it's not really coke. It's flour with some dried dental gel to make your gums numb. And it pays off :)
Anywhere in the world you need to keep your eyes open.
#Ed S. on Jun 19, 2015 :
Safe... unless you are black (racism and hate crimes). Also, it would be nice if no one tried to sell you drugs on the sidewalk, during day light, every 100 meters.
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