Crime in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Crime rates in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| Level of crime | 90.21 | Very High | |
| Crime increasing in the past 3 years | 81.38 | Very High | |
| Worries home broken and things stolen | 57.51 | Moderate | |
| Worries being mugged or robbed | 86.40 | Very High | |
| Worries car stolen | 77.20 | High | |
| Worries things from car stolen | 76.74 | High | |
| Worries attacked | 71.03 | High | |
| Worries being insulted | 55.60 | Moderate | |
| Worries being subject to a physical attack because of your skin color, ethnic origin, gender or religion | 39.60 | Low | |
| Problem people using or dealing drugs | 82.12 | Very High | |
| Problem property crimes such as vandalism and theft | 80.38 | Very High | |
| Problem violent crimes such as assault and armed robbery | 90.10 | Very High | |
| Problem corruption and bribery | 93.07 | Very High |
Safety in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| Safety walking alone during daylight | 33.74 | Low | |
| Safety walking alone during night | 12.68 | Very Low |
Contributors: 562
Last update: November 2020
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.
Explore Rio de Janeiro:
Nearby cities:
| Crime in Niteroi | 12.43 miles |
| Crime in Duque de Caxias | 15.50 miles |
| Crime in Nova Iguacu | 24.35 miles |
| Crime in Petropolis | 41.07 miles |
| Crime in Teresopolis | 59.79 miles |
| Crime in Saquarema | 74.61 miles |
| Crime in Volta Redonda | 79.85 miles |
| Crime in Barra Mansa | 82.82 miles |
| Crime in Nova Friburgo | 87.41 miles |
| Crime in Sao Pedro da Aldeia | 88.48 miles |
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That said we are buying our house in Marica and will raise our two sons there.
Yes it can be dangerous.Seems what I have learned is if you do not know someone, do not trust them, watch what you say and when you speak. Constantly be aware of your surroundings. We are visitors in a foreign country. No different than if you venture to one of the US inner city areas. For te most part, it is an awesome place, I love it and the people.
Stay away from Hell de Janeiro
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.
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.
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.