Crime in Medellin, Colombia

Crime rates in Medellin, Colombia

Level of crime	68.75	High
Crime increasing in the past 3 years	56.48	Moderate
Worries home broken and things stolen	39.16	Low
Worries being mugged or robbed	66.07	High
Worries car stolen	48.04	Moderate
Worries things from car stolen	58.24	Moderate
Worries attacked	43.75	Moderate
Worries being insulted	36.07	Low
Worries being subject to a physical attack because of your skin color, ethnic origin, gender or religion	20.11	Low
Problem people using or dealing drugs	67.62	High
Problem property crimes such as vandalism and theft	60.44	High
Problem violent crimes such as assault and armed robbery	66.41	High
Problem corruption and bribery	74.59	High

Safety in Medellin, Colombia

Safety walking alone during daylight		63.14	High
Safety walking alone during night		35.90	Low

Contributors: 196

Last update: March 2023

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.

Moving to Medellin? Explore:

Nearby cities:

Crime in Manizales	120.29 miles
Crime in Armenia	161.05 miles

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Leave a comment:

11 Comments so far

Alfred on Nov 09, 2022:

I have lived here for 12 years. I have only seen 1 violent act. It was an armed robber that got killed by his would be victim. Other than that nothing. I live a normal life in el poblado. Gym, restaurants, malls, drive in the countryside. I dont know anyone who has been robbed but I dont know anyone who chases hookers and drugs.

Anonymous on Oct 23, 2022:

Take a look at official statistics - there were about 25k robberies in the city of Medellin in 2020 alone and the numbers have gone up since. Personally, I lived there for ~11 months and saw 3 armed robberies (with pistols each time). Luckily, they left before getting to me each time as they tend to flee if anything spooks them. Beautiful city but the armed robbery issue is an epidemic. It can happen to you while at a restaurant, walking around during the daytime, going to the corner store, etc. The issue tends to be more pronounced in the estrato 6 neighberhoods. The armed robbers tend to come from the poorer parts of town and seem to ply their trade in the richer parts of the city. Amazing city but about 50% of folks who have lived there 1+ years have experienced an attempted robbery at least once.

David on Aug 29, 2022:

Don’t let anyone get near you in Medellin! The two times I have gone with friends, they have gotten robbed and pickpocketed around Lleras. Don’t take out a lot of money at once in the street.

Anonymous on Aug 16, 2022:

**No Dar Papaya. Google it ....

It means don't take your eyes off your stuff and don't take out cell phone, hold your backpack, be aware of your surroundings, don't leave your computer or cell phone on a restaurant table, etc....

Jimbo on Aug 16, 2022:

I just 6 months in Medellin. I am a 6'5" 340lb gringo and I stick out. Medellin has its own culture and set of rules. Guys, wear dark pants and dark shoes to fit in. Walk with a purpose. Never display your cell phone. Ever. Or wallet. Only take Uber after dark (or taxi called by restaurant or hotel). I never got robbed, but met lots of people who did. Usually at bars or park lleras trying to meet girls/hookers. Not my thing....no day papaya - look up that phrase! The weather is great, food is cheap and spectacular, the woman (and men) are very beautiful and Poblado has first world malls....but it is a poor country and there are venezuelan refugees there ,(very sad) so as a gringo, you have to be careful. Just like if you were in St Louis or Oakland at night!

Livie on Feb 17, 2022:

Lol at the people saying its super safe in here.... it is absolutely not 'super safe' and I am sure its really only Colombians saying this...

Jaime on Mar 18, 2021:

The city is liveable and mostly safe; at the same time do try to stay alert. Don't show off; hide your watch , wallet and smartphone and if you go to wrong places at wrong times then you might just get to know the dark side of the city;

No dar papaya!

Martin on Feb 13, 2021:

Pretty safe place. None of my Colombians friends was ever robbed or saw shooting. I dont know what the guy under me is drinking.

Anonymous on Jan 04, 2021:

We visited for two weeks. On the second day we got followed by some guys who probably wanted to rob us but gave up when we noticed them. On the third day we got robbed at gunpoint. On the fourth day someone tried to pick my pocket in the subway. After that we stuck to our hotel room and did not leave the most touristy area.
Every local we talked to had been robbed multiple times. Some had worse stories (carjacking, family member murdered).
People are very proud of their city and tend to deny that there is still a safety problem, but I’d strongly recommend against going.

Nicolas on Oct 25, 2020:

Gabrielle is wrong. There is really no need to be paranoid about you getting mugged. Just use your common sense like in any other city around the world and avoid dangerous situations like drugs and prostitution involvement. ive lived here for 21 years and never seen a person getting mugged or gotten mugged myself.

Gabrielle on Feb 16, 2020:

It might be safer than the 90s but it’s not completely safe. You have to be diligent at ALL times because thefts and/or robberies can happen in the blink of an eye and with violence. South America in itself has a lot of corruption and while improvement has been made compared to the past, you still need to be on guard. It’s a great city for digital nomads but you can still see plenty of evidence of corruption everywhere(human trafficking, drug trafficking, thefts, poverty etc

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Index
Crime Index:	55.54
Safety Index:	44.46


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