10 Most Violent Cities in The World 2023

With crime continuing to surge in many major cities around the world, it’s no surprise that the list of most violent cities in 2023 has been released. According to a report by the Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice, six of the ten most violent cities are in Latin America, with Tijuana – Mexico topping the list. Other countries with high levels of crime include Honduras, Venezuela, and Colombia. Cities in North America and Europe make up the remainder of the top ten list.

Results:

The ranking of the world’s most violent cities has been controversial since it was first put together in 2008. But according to a study released earlier this year, the list is still accurate. Here are 10 of the most violent cities in the world in 2023:

most violent cities from around the world

10. Ciudad Bolivar – Venezuela

Population: 370,627
Murder rate: 69 per 100,000 inhabitants

Ciudad Bolivar is the most violent city in the world. According to the 2018 Global Peace Index, Ciudad Bolivar ranks as the most violent city in the world. The index measures how peaceful a country is based on factors such as homicide rates, military expenditure and terrorist attacks. Ciudad Bolivar has a homicide rate of 69 per 100,000 people, which is more than three times higher than any other city in Venezuela.

The city also ranks as one of the five most militarized cities in the world. In addition, Ciudad Bolivar is home to several terrorist groups, including El Nacional and Los Comandos Urbanos.

9. Fortaleza – Brazil

Population: 3,999,930
Murder rate: 69 per 100,000 inhabitants

Fortaleza is the most violent city in Brazil according to a report by the Global Peace Index. The study found that there were an average of 102 murders per 100,000 inhabitants in Fortaleza in 2014, which was more than two times the rate of Rio de Janeiro. The report also found that there were an average of 162 robbery cases per 100,000 inhabitants and 105 cases of assault per 100,000 inhabitants. In comparison, Sao Paulo had an average rate of 34 murders per 100,000 inhabitants, 54 robbery cases per 100,000 inhabitants and 97 cases of assault per 100,000 inhabitants.

8. Natal – Brazil

Population: 1,353,713
Murder rate: 75 per 100,000 inhabitants

Brazil has a high rate of violent crime, ranking it as the most violent country in the world. The most violent cities in Brazil are São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, and Belo Horizonte. In 2016, São Paulo had the highest homicide rate in the world with 144 murders per 100,000 residents. Rio de Janeiro had the second highest homicide rate with 131 murders per 100,000 residents. Salvador had the third highest homicide rate with 101 murders per 100,000 residents. Belo Horizonte had the fourth highest homicide rate with 89 murders per 100,000 residents.

See also; 10 countries with the highest rape crime.

7. Ciudad Guayana – Venezuela

Population: 758,490
Murder rate: 78 per 100,000 inhabitants

Ciudad Guayana is the most violent city in the world. According to a study by the Global Peace Index, Ciudad Guayana ranks as the most violence-prone city in Venezuela with a score of 161.5 points. This makes it more than twice as violent as any other Venezuelan city and almost six times more violent than Caracas, which ranks at number 41 on the list.

The study looked at data from 75 cities around the world and ranked them according to their levels of peace and violence. The results show that Ciudad Guayana is far from being an exception in Venezuela – high levels of violence are widespread throughout the country. In fact, Venezuela has the second-highest level of peacelessness (defined as a lack of peacefulness) among all countries in Latin America, after Honduras.

6. Irapuato – Mexico

Population: 866,370
Murder rate: 81 per 100,000 inhabitants

Irapuato, Mexico is considered to be the most violent city in the world. The city had an estimated homicide rate of 106 per 100,000 people in 2016. This makes Irapuato one of the most dangerous cities in the world. In addition, Irapuato has a rape rate of 70 per 100,000 people and a robbery rate of 172 per 100,000 people. These rates make Irapuato one of the most dangerous cities for crime overall.

See also; Top 10 countries with the highest crimes rate.

5. Cuidad Juarez – Mexico

Population: 1,512,450
Murder rate: 86 per 100,000 inhabitants

Cuidad Juarez, Mexico is known as the most violent city in the world. The city has an average of 100 homicides per month. This makes it more violent than Baghdad, Afghanistan and Syria. In fact, it is three times more violent than any other city in Latin America.

4. Ciudad Victoria – Mexico

Population: 349,688
Murder rate: 86 per 100,000 inhabitants

Ciudad Victoria, Mexico is known as the most violent city in the world. It has a murder rate of 100 per 100,000 people making it one of the most dangerous cities on earth. The city’s high crime rates have forced the government to implement strict security measures including installing metal detectors at public places. Ciudad Victoria also has one of the lowest levels of education and economic development, which has led to an increase in crime.

3. Caracas – Venezuela

Population: 2,682,801
Murder rate: 100 per 100,000 inhabitants

Caracas, Venezuela is the most violent city in the world. There were 1,089 homicides in 2013, which is an increase of 54% from 2012. The homicide rate in Caracas is almost five times higher than that of New York City. The Venezuelan government has not been able to reduce the violence since it has become a major issue.

2. Acapulco – Mexico

Population: 779,566
Murder rate: 111 per 100,000 inhabitants

Mexico City is the most dangerous city in the world and Acapulco is second. There were 111 homicides per 100,000 people in Acapulco, compared to Mexico City’s annual average of around 2,000. The majority of homicides in Acapulco are related to drug trafficking and other organized crime.

1. Tijuana – Mexico

Population: 2,049,413
Murder rate: 138 per 100,000 inhabitants

Tijuana, Mexico was recently named the most dangerous city in the world with a homicide rate of 138 per 100,000 people. The city has surpassed war-torn cities such as Baghdad and Donetsk in Ukraine and Mogadishu in Somalia. The increase in homicides can be attributed to gang warfare between rival drug cartels, as well as random acts of violence.

The Mexican government has been struggling to control the rampant violence for years. President Enrique Pena Nieto declared a state of emergency in Tijuana in February 2017 after murders increased 125 percent from the previous year. However, despite allocating millions of dollars for security measures, the situation continues to deteriorate.

Cities throughout Latin America struggle with high homicide rates, but few can compare to Tijuana.

Conclusion

The world’s most violent cities will continue to be located in South America, Africa and the Middle East. These regions are home to a large percentage of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable populations, which makes them magnets for crime. Cities in North America, Europe and Oceania will see decreases in their overall levels of violence, but many of their cities will still be among the world’s most dangerous. The trend appears to be that as societies become more affluent, crime rates tend to decrease. (source)

In conclusion, we found that the cities with the highest crime rates are in South America, Africa, and Central America. These areas are experiencing an increase in violence due to war and drug trafficking. Cities in Europe and Asia generally have low crime rates, making them safer places to live.