Crime in Lisbon, Portugal

Crime rates in Lisbon, Portugal

Level of crime
26.72 Low
Crime increasing in the past 5 years
54.05 Moderate
Worries home broken and things stolen
23.36 Low
Worries being mugged or robbed
31.65 Low
Worries car stolen
23.55 Low
Worries things from car stolen
36.25 Low
Worries attacked
25.15 Low
Worries being insulted
26.03 Low
Worries being subject to a physical attack because of your skin color, ethnic origin, gender or religion
16.49 Very Low
Problem people using or dealing drugs
42.71 Moderate
Problem property crimes such as vandalism and theft
36.92 Low
Problem violent crimes such as assault and armed robbery
24.29 Low
Problem corruption and bribery
55.57 Moderate

Safety in Lisbon, Portugal

Safety walking alone during daylight
86.12 Very High
Safety walking alone during night
62.87 High

Contributors: 590

Last update: November 2024

These data are based on perceptions of visitors of this website in the past 5 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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12 Comments so far
Jim on Nov 22, 2023:
The portugese government intervened last months, the situation is already a lot better now. The brawls are something from the past now and the problem immigrants are sent back to their countries or moved to a different part of the country.
Anonymous on Jul 20, 2023:
Lisbon used to be somewhat safeish, currently its going rapidly downhill all the dangers and dodgy things happenening have been mentioned in the comments bellow but with the increasing ammount of poverty striken individuals and the goverment policies to accept birtually anyone into the country its quickly becoming quite unsafe, all kinds of violent crimes are rising from just simple brawls to murders, guns didnt use to be a common thing in lisbon but nowadays more and more immigrants end up in the news for shooting people
Laura on May 03, 2023:
Nothing here is considered a crime according to the police so they're not reporting numbers. I'm insulted daily for being white, blonde, and female. I'm constantly harassesd by men on the streets. Apparently I live in the safest neighborhood and I've had people try to get in and there are drug dealers on every corner. The mailman is one and when I reported him to the mail center even they didn't care! So is the neighborhood chef and every bartender. If you're Christian you are screwed. I've lived here 2 years and I hate it. I agree with the person below, except that yes there are many perverts of many origins and I've called the police 7 times here for harassment of men even busting down my front door (literally) and they couldn't care less. If you call the police they literally laugh at you and hang up.
Alexandre on Mar 14, 2023:
I'm from Portugal and this is a lie, I lived all my life in Lisbon and the criminal rate is too high, people getting stabbed and robbed in the street is a very normal thing everyday, if you go to the docs, be careful, everyday kids 16-30 years old are murdered in cold blood by securities and crackheads during the night, if you wanna check it, go to google and research about "K-Urban Beach" or "lust in rio" clubs murdered stories, i use to go to both clubs to party as a teenagers and i promise you, that is not a safe place for nobody, people selling heavy drugs inside of the club, is a normal thing even for securities because the have a percentage of the drug dealing, yes, during the day "can" be safe, but me as a Portuguese guy, i don't leave my house without a little knife or a spray, and if you are a women, im so sorry, Portuguese people are not pervert but stay away from Portugal
Anonymous on Sep 09, 2022:
Lisbon outside of the city centre is pretty safe to walk around day and night. But it's not crime-free.
Those people "selling drugs" downtown are selling fake drugs, that's why they never get arrested. And be careful because although you may only see 1 or 2 of them out there, they are a large group of over 10 big dudes who will become very aggressive, very quickly.
If you're a woman you will get catcalled a lot in Lisbon. Careful with short skirts in crowded bar areas like Bairro Alto, Cais do Sodré and Santos because dudes will try to put their hands underneath. Sometimes groups of shitheads will to it on purpose in front of boyfriends or other male friends of the girl in question, to get a reaction and start a fight.
Taxi drivers will try to trick you, specially at the airport, so get an Uber instead.
Pickpockets love to go on trams and very touristy spots downtown. They are mostly foreign women who look harmless.
Muggings are super common in Lisbon at night, specially if you are a teenager or in your 20s. It starts with a "do you have a lighter/cigarette" and ends with you without a phone and money. No point trying to be tough, you'll end up with a bruised face and still no phone and no money. The best is to talk your way out of it, be friendly but assertive and just keep walking, don't stop in the middle of the street when you get approached, keep walking.
You're a lot less likely to be mugged if you're in your 30's or older.
Places like Anjos and Intendente have a nice art scene and nightlife but also a lot of junkies and prostitutes, so stay on the main hipster roads, specially at night.
Beato has some really cool spots too but if you start exploring the area on your own you'll quickly end up in really dodgy places even during the day.
Look where you step, there's always dog poop around > a different kind of crime, mostly against your shoes.
Anonymous on May 24, 2022:
The main problem is scammers and pickpockets. If you try to stay away from crowds, visit tourist sites at less busy times, wear a money belt, carry a secure bag and don't venture out too far after dark, you'll probably be fine.

If you're just visiting, a taxi app may be a better option than public transport. They are inexpensive and safe, while trains/trams/buses are crawling with pickpockets.

Muggings are less common, but I've heard they happen. Though they can easily be avoided by staying away from isolated areas.
Anonymous on Apr 09, 2022:
I went to Lisbon recently and I have to say that it's a pretty safe city. There's usually some middle eastern guys in the most popular plazas or areas in the city that may come up to you and try to pickpocket or rob, they dress really bad so it's easy to identify them. Keep your phones and pockets somewhere they're safe and you'll be alright for the rest of the day! It's an amazing city, Portuguese people are really kind and open minded.
Anonymous on Mar 20, 2022:
I grew up in Lisbon, to be honest during daytime the city is safe, i hardly heard of accidents during day time, but at night i would say that it is really unsafe, mainly in areas where people go out at night such as bairro alto, santos, cais do sodre etc ..
Ctil on Jan 19, 2022:
I currently live in Lisbon (female) and love it. I moved here from Chicago (YS) which is very high crime so this feels extremely safe. This is like anywhere in the world - just be aware of your surroundings.
Anonymous on Apr 04, 2021:
Lisbon being safe... Not my experience at all. I grew up around intendente and saw robberies, stabbings, drug gangs, desperate poverty and overall danger.
Anonymous on Mar 24, 2021:
The level of crime currently shown is 23.95% but as desperate as people are becoming since many hasn't worked very much in about 8 months now all levels of crime should be much higher in every category. Covid19 has caused alot of anxiety here in Lisbon.
Anon on Oct 18, 2020:
I lived in Lisbon for 1 year and it is not safe at all. Most of the people commenting are men so I think they are not as much at risk. But for me, I’ve never had as many problems in any other country or city as Lisbon (and I’ve travelled south east Asia). Particularly if you don’t look Portuguese you are at risk. In my experience and having spoken with people that live in Lisbon as well I would say the level of pickpockets and petty thefts is higher than places like Paris, Barcelona, London etc.