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Crime in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Crime rates in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| Level of crime | 90.63 | Very High | |
| Crime increasing in the past 3 years | 83.59 | Very High | |
| Worries home broken and things stolen | 59.88 | Moderate | |
| Worries being mugged or robbed | 87.11 | Very High | |
| Worries car stolen | 78.77 | High | |
| Worries things from car stolen | 79.94 | High | |
| Worries attacked | 72.29 | High | |
| Worries being insulted | 57.77 | Moderate | |
| Worries being subject to a physical attack because of your skin colour, ethnic origin or religion | 40.59 | Moderate | |
| Problem people using or dealing drugs | 82.51 | Very High | |
| Problem property crimes such as vandalism and theft | 81.14 | Very High | |
| Problem violent crimes such as assault and armed robbery | 90.41 | Very High | |
| Problem corruption and bribery | 93.39 | Very High |
Safety in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| Safety walking alone during daylight | 31.06 | Low | |
| Safety walking alone during night | 11.53 | Very Low |
Contributors: 397
Last update: October 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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70 Comments so far
I am a native of Rio de Janeiro, and I do not enjoy living here, not without being killed. I lost my father from the killers who are allowed to get away with it. Brasil is tainted by greedy governments too.
Either way, not an ideal place to visit if you don't speak their language. And most of the locals dress awfully shady, and flip-flops seem to be a cultural thing too, hence why others will look at you funny and plan out attacks on you. Even police officers are awfully indifferent about crime and just walk away.
It's a gamble in itself, really. But if you want to play it safe, there are other places that are much safer and are caring to tourists.
I guess we were just lucky because nothing bad happened - the only thing we witnessed was a taxi crashing with biker - but it's something we would see in our home town as well and happens every now and then everywhere.
We took busses to Buzios, Angra, and Paraty and everything went fine. We also explored the city of Rio by subway, Ubers and walking. And no - we did not go to the North Zone, Just Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, Sao Conrado, Pedra da Gavea, Botafogo, Leme, Centro, Lapa etc... Plenty of things to see on those "safer zones".
I am well aware of the problems of the city and the horrific quality of living in the favelas, so I would never say it's a paradise or the best city in the world. Most of the shootings happen in favelas so they are relatively easy to avoid (for the visitors - god help the locals).
But for a visitor (or at least for us) it was something we will never forget - in a positive light. The city was so beautiful with all the mountains / hills, beaches, palm trees, forests and parks and a lot of cultural sites to see. Also - food and drinks were cheap for us as europeans, and we were always treated with respect. Many of the locals did not speak english, but they were eager to teach us a couple of words and use their hands and facial expressions to try to make us understand what they wanted to say. They were always helpful and asked if we needed help, do we know the way, were are we going etc.
The weather was perfect in July, I would not visit during the local summer as it could be too hot for me. It seemed to be off season as there were no queues to any tourist attractions and we could just walk in easily without waiting.
Ubers were really easy to use and the drivers were nice and did not drive too fast or anything. The only bad car trip we experienced was an official taxi we had to take once when we did not have the wifi connection to order uber. He was driving too fast and took his hands off the wheel during the drive, spoke loudly portuguese and we understood nothing. It was a scary trip and took like 20 mins so that was maybe the only bad experience we had.
I even walked back home at 4am alone from the bar, like 20 mins. That was in copacabana though. I was pretty drunk and in the morning I got scared when I understood how dangerous it could have been.
We both have dark hair, tan and wore flip-flops so I guess we did not stand up from the crowd that much.
I can't tell everyone will be safe there and it's the best destination to go f.ex with your family, but I wish I didn't read all the horror stories before leaving, because for me the fear was not helpful - I even thought about cancelling my flights. Now I'm glad I didn't because it was awesome, and I will totally go back some day. Hope the situation gets better before that. I'm also worried about the local businesses if no tourist wants to go there anymore - it could drive more locals to the poverty and even worsen the situation.
- ALWAYS, take an UBER. Taxis are fine but expensive. (Many taxi drivers, including UBER, are very sketchy and seemed to seek out potential victims in order to kidnap them, no matter how nice they seem. I took a private bus charter instead and went well because of luck)
- If alone, try to stay in a hostel and make friends who speak portuguese or are more familiar to the city. Do not go anywhere but South Rio unless you have someone to trust in. (Sadly, I lack in understanding with the Portuguese language; none of the locals ever spoke English and always jokingly referred to me as a "gringo", even though I'm from (and live in) Canada and not in America. I tried befriending them, but again, none spoke English and kept calling me "gringo" as a racist joke so I was basically on my own and stayed in a hotel and not a hostel)
- Carry cigarrets or a little amount of money, in many situations you can avoid an armed robbery just offering something. (They still threatened me and knowing robbers of many kind, they'll steal anything, no matter how cheap or expensive they seem. Luckily, I wasn't robbed, but the moment they looked at me as their next target, I hid in a public building, even waited at least five hours until they lost interest of me)
- Favelas were safer in the past, nowadays it's not a good idea. (Obviously. I would've been a dead man if I ever set foot in the favelas, much less even get near those areas)
- Avoid forests and "nature", many places are full of thugs and it's a getaway to many drug lords. (Again, would've been a dead man if I were to explore it. I read that a local tour guide was murdered while giving other tourists a tour around the forests)
Alas, as I was heading back to the airport to make a departure back to my homeland, I was suddenly attacked and robbed from out of nowhere by thugs and took my money, along with my luggage, and security guards did nothing to help. All they did was just stand there looking indifferent. Even the taxi driver hauling my belongings laughed at me instead of chasing the thieves. I came back home with nothing, which finalizes my hasty and disastrous trip to Rio.
Traveller, you must've been a really lucky tourist; I didn't. Therefore, Rio is NOT the best city in the world. It's sketchy, crime-ridden and locals are only friendly enough for them to easily take advantage of others like myself (especially since most locals aren't always dress modest except hard-workers, since most of the locals wear flip-flops, no offense). And if you don't speak their language, don't be surprised when they call you "gringo", no matter where you're from.
Locals will say many negative things and even the media, but the mandatory tips are:
- ALWAYS, take an UBER. Taxis are fine but expensive.
- If alone, try to stay in a hostel and make friends who speak portuguese or are more familiar to the city. Do not go anywhere but South Rio unless you have someone to trust in.
- Carry cigarrets or a little amount of money, in many situations you can avoid an armed robbery just offering something.
- Favelas were safer in the past, nowadays it's not a good idea.
- Avoid forests and "nature", many places are full of thugs and it's a getaway to many drug lords.
Now, enjoy Rio! Best city in the world.
Yesterday, my 10-year old daughter went missing from our relaxation at Copacabana Beach, my husband went looking for her and even asked the officials and yet they blatantly ignored him! When we had to look around for ourselves (locals NEVER spoke English, even younger people went as far as to call us "gringos" in a racist manner, apart from their lack of basic English) and when we found our daughter in the outskirts of the favela in Rio... oh god, she was brutally raped, beaten and SHOT, MUTILATED AS WELL!!!
What kind of a city that are filled with inbred humans who not only refuse to help, but also encourage and join this... this heinous crime?!?! And police officers did nothing as if it's a common thing, and yet they REFUSE to help tourists out at all, especially when it comes to child abduction! WHY ARE THESE KINDS OF SUB-HUMAN ALLOWED TO GO OFF EASY LIKE THIS??!?! ESPECIALLY TO MY PRECIOUS DAUGHTER!!!
Never again will I ever set foot to Brazil, or any other countries that allows children to be kidnapped or worse. Me and my husband were so traumatized that we can no longer travel outside of the US without the risk of any more children getting killed at the hands of these vicious animals......
Had a brilliant time with no hassles.
It was a pleasant experience except for the part where I was chased by a bunch of dudes trying to rob me and had to sleep to the sound of gunshots every other day.
The food is nice, people are nice (the ones that don't wanna to kill you).
Go to Chile Uruguai Argentina.
I Live in Brazil.
But my contry is dangerous tô visita.
Also, police will not help you, even if you're a victim of a crime as they just laugh at your problems.
Dear sir: PEOPLE LIKE YOU ARE THE REASON WE HAVE WARS, HATRED, RACISM if anybody should be exterminated that is you and people like you
Yes, there are safer areas in Rio, I live in one of them, my parents too. I do feel safe when I'm in my (rather geographically large) neighborhood, but I also feel trapped. I have been around the world and I envy people who can go to so many different parts of their cities without worry. Here in real it's not safe even to go "Downtown". After all What's the use of living in a safe neighborhood if still you have to go through many ridiculously dangerous areas of the city on a daily basis just to arrive at work?
Luckily I'm still young, I'm financially savvy and I make enough money (the Rio's 1%? lol) to be able to move either the USA, Canada, or a tranquil European city before I'm in my mid 40s or 50s. I just hope I'm still alive by then.
You have to spend your holidays very cautious, in panic , not enjoying - I have been to many other big cities round the world , didn't experience these feelings of unsafety at any of them but at Rio
I have been to police of tourism reported the robbery they were nice but what can they do ? they said it is very common at Rio
I will never think of re- visiting Rio
In Brazil they got all first: heavy miscegenation, mixed marriages, police killing white people just because they are white, disarming people and arming criminals, "minorities" policies to "protect" blacks, gays, feminists, and poor people from "evil" whites (Brazil is AN AFRICAN country! Pure breed whites are only 10% of population there), laws to "socialize" criminals, open-doors immigration policies for THIRD-WORLD countries (Brazil is a THIRD-WORLD COUNTRY itself, but they opened their doors to other 3rd world hells).
That is why they created that coward scum that is Brazilian people. They will accept any humiliation, be treated like animals, spit on face, spanked, and they will still be smiling with their horrendous toothless mouths and saying "can haz beer, bbq and play soccrah".
And the legend about beautiful Brazilian women? Just a legend, Brazil has the largest TRANSVESTITE population in the world. Pretty much, 90% of Brazilian males are faggots (as in being feminized coward passive gay). So, women to have any male there need to look like men, very muscular and not feminine at all.
If the world escapes from the hell globalists are trying to take us to, Brazilians must be all exterminated or the will contaminate humankind and any hope of a better future without globalist criminal scum will be lost. Brazil is the root of all that evil in the world, and they must pay for have existed. Read Count of Gobineau about Brazil to understand that Brazilians must be destroyed for the sake of our children's future.
This is STUPID. You rate how it "feels" walking down the street? Bunch of racists on here.
Shut up, moron. How is that racist? Or is any criticism of anyone, anywhere now considered racist?
That is why crime is so bad. Lots of weak, pliant sheeple.
If you had 4 man protection teams with pursuit and protection from overwatch, I bet you could serve bait victims out and simply blow away the offenders. Leave the bodies hanging from a light pole.
To hell with poor, poor them. Exterminate these vermin. Start with the police. You need a string, incorruptible leader who would surround this place with an army, sweep it clean and burn out the pesriferous favelas.
Build new low income housing, a prison camp and a large execution pit. I'm drag thise scummy policemen in, interrogate them using effective methods - water boarding, stress pisitions, and - da Ilyich executions of the uncooperative.
Too harsh? Enjoy anarchy in your gun free socialist paradise.
Unbelievable.
Generally, South zone is fairly safe while daytime but surely not at night. If you decide to go to Rio, you have to be ready to lose all your belongings, therefore travel as light as possible. If you don't care so much about photos, take a cheap phone, your credit card and carry a bit money 10-50 Reais max. Don't depend on police - they're mostly unable to help and you need to speak portuguese with them.
Even though I had a nice time till the incident, I'll never return to this city and I advice you not to! There are safer places in South America and I enjoy my time more if I don't have to be paranoid all the time like walking in a war zone. Here richer people (mid-class+) live behind high walls, have their cars' windows tinted etc which speaks for the safety itself.
Boa sorte!
Remembering that most likely nothing random will happen, you still do need to be vigilant 100% of the time, not paranoid.
Keep an eye out for people (especially children!!!) that look like they are out to cause trouble, because 50/50 they are. Don't be an idiot an walk around with a camera, even in crowded places during the day like Copacabana or Ipanema... I have seen MANY get snatched in grab and run style operations. Likewise for phones. Keep some robbery money every time you go out (as if you have nothing it is not unheard of the robbers will be angry and act violently) and perhaps think of using a cheap/ old cell phone (For your photos, upload them regularly to a cloud... a little less traumatic to loose a phone and not your vacation memories!) If you are a tourist take an Uber or a taxi, especially at night. Walk in groups and not alone. Don't walk around on the street yelling and talking loudly in English/ foreign languages or acting like a clueless foreigner who is oh so enchanted with how different and beautiful everything is or someone with bad intentions will probably notice you and target you. Finally, enjoy, it is possible to have an amazing time if you go with the right attitude and use common sense - just remember things can happen, but more chances than not that they will not happen. Every place has its threats and dangers, Brazil is certainly no exception but it is not a war zone.
Two days later, we have seen how a mobile phone was snatched from a woman's hands in the middle of the day on Copacobana promenade.
The landscape in Rio is wonderful, but we will never return.
If i were to say whats on the news, i'd mention the 200+ stabbing that have occurred since 2015. Maybe they are all fabrications... but i invite anyone reading this to search crimes in rio on youtube. Maybe those are all fabrications of my military influence.
do you live on earth? You obviously haven't heard. Murders have ballooned back up in Rio in the last two years.
There were 4,500 intentional homicides in Rio during 2014, a rate of 35 per 100,000. It isn't 20 per 100,000 [which is what the media will say], it's 35. Just be careful of what you read in the newspapers and online, they don't research things like this very thoroughly. Even the more reputable outlets.
@Luiz E.,
Rio is a city of 13 million.
In general I felt relatively safe between 7AM and 10PM. Any time outside those hours is just way too risky. And don't ever walk on a beach at night and even during daylight don't have anything expensive with you. My friend got robbed on the beach during the day. The guy came with a big knife and asked my friend to give him his wrist watch. So you have to be very careful in Rio. You also have to be careful with taxi drivers who will drive you around. Aways lock door and close windows. Don't go out much at night and don't let strangers to get close to you and you'll be fine.
Rio had 62 cases of people killed by stray bullets between 2008 and 2013. In a city with 6.3 million people, it is hardly a case for personal concern.
On a personal note, I have never seen anyone getting shot in more than 40 years living in Rio.
I'm from Rio, born and raised.
I've seen people getting robbed, people getting stabbed, people getting shot, and i've never been inside a favela.
I've been robbed at gun point, once in copa and another time inside a bus.
Wednesday, june 10th, 2015, two days ago, in the train compartment i was there were two guys, one with a knife, they where taking people's cellphones and money.
I have martial-arts training and military training, i refused to give in my money/cellphone to a crackhead. He wasn't expecting someone to standup to him. They ran off as soon as the train stopped.
I see kids running away with stolen purses in broad daylight.
Every day many people get killed.
It is a beautiful city, but as i have said before, anyone coming here has to be extremely careful. It's preferable that you come with someone that knows the city well.
Don't rely on police protection because they are very limited.
Brazilians are very friendly and willing to help but, we do have a high number of criminals here. Please, do not take this warnings lightly. I am a 28 yearold man, strong and able, i can fight and i can shoot. I am leaving this city because every day i am afraid i might not make it back home. Either because of a (bala perdida) gun shot not even intended for me, or a knife attack (they stab you first then take your things without warning) Just do your research online, you will lots of recent videos of knife attacks. Good luck and God bless!
To the best of my knowledge he was was involved with any type of criminality. He was employed and had just started a micro business. I have no information why the police picked him up yet. He was walking his girlfriend home at 10pm in Realango, a favela.
I lived in Brazil for 10 years. Undereducated Brazilian men are relatively aggressive and many prone to violence using weapons. Be careful what you say, placate, flatter and keep any negative opinions to yourself Gringo.
From kids with knifes to tall armed guys.
even in the touristic areas it can happen anytime
specially now that Brazil is going through another huge economic crisis and inflation.
prices getting higher for everything and violence increasing.
watch your back in Rio!
Just came back from Rio and been there for over a week.
I'm just going to say, common sense !! That's it.
Rio is amazing, one of the best cities I've visited. And regarding crime, right you have favelas and you have dodgy places but surely you will find out where not to go before the trip.
The place is no different then other MEGA Cities like Paris, London or NY if you shouldn't be going to particular neighbourhood, don't go. Using public transport is very safe both metro and Buses( if you show the drive were you're going he will let you know when to leave the bus.
I will defo be going back to Rio and if you're thinking about safety in this place, don't.. you will be perfectly fine !!