Paris, Rome, Madrid, London, and more. There's no denying that the major European cities of the world are some of the most beautiful places you'll ever see. But it's also a shame that, since these are also some of the most populated and most congested cities, they have relatively high crime rates. It's almost a given that a major city will have moderate-to-high crime rates and they often leave a bad taste to what would have been modern-day utopias. But what about Zürich, a major city in Switzerland? How are the crime rates here? Well, here's what you need to know!
The General Crime Rate of Zürich
Despite the stereotype that major cities will have high crime rates, Zürich actually has one of the lowest in the world. Surprisingly, the city's general crime rate is only 10.17%, even lower than underrated and unpopular cities. This is a testament to how well the police have been keeping the Swiss capital in check. Even Zürich's rate of increasing crimes over the past few years is only 49.39%, considered just moderate on the scale. So it looks like Zürich is doing something right in keeping things in order, further proving that other capital cities need to step up in the safety department.
Zürich's Highest-Rated Crimes
With that said, crimes are still committed in Zürich. As of 2021, the highest-rated is drug dealing at 30.18%. Although considered low, this further proves that Europe really has a massive drug problem. Other places like
Monaco and
Dublin both have drug-dealing as among their highest-rated crimes too. After that, at 23.94%, vandalism and theft both rank as the second highest-rated crime in Zürich. This is also a shame as the Swiss business hub is one of the most beautiful and most popular tourist destinations. The fact that such crimes remain rampant here might turn travelers off.
Other Notable Crimes in Zürich
It's no secret that
socializing with the Swiss can get tedious and this is further proven by the fact that verbal abuse ranks as the third highest-rated offense in Zürich at 17.21. It seems that foreigners and first-timers in the city still have a long way to go when interacting with the locals here. At 15.39%, home robbery follows up as the fourth highest-rated crime in Zürich. Although the rate is considered 'very low,' it still causes alarm among many residents in the city. It seems that
luxury homes may be the most at risk so it's best that they remain locked and secured at all times.
Zürich Safety Rate For Walking Around
Since Zürich has generally low crime rates, you can already tell that the safety rate for walking around here will probably be high. And you're right. As of this writing, it's 91.28% high to walk around and explore the
different districts of Zürich during the day. Come nightfall, however, it falls a little to around 80.90%. Among the most important financial hubs around the world, Zürich has some of the highest safety rates ever. It's almost as if you can walk around without a care in the world and you're still less likely to get into trouble. However, do note that this won't always be the case!
Areas to Avoid in Zürich
Despite the high safety rates, however, it can't be helped that there are some parts of Zürich you're better off avoiding. Although there isn't a lot, you'd still benefit from knowing about them. Ask any local about which area to avoid in the Swiss city and you'll notice that the Langstrasse neighborhood will pop up more than once. Although it's not a dangerous area, per se, it's still the infamous red-light district in the city. And while the place has transformed a lot over the years, some parts remain sketchy, frequented with characters you're better off avoiding as well.
Just because Zürich is a major business hub, it doesn't mean that it's a dangerous, crime-filled place. On the contrary, it's actually one of the safest cities in the world. Its crime rates are among the lowest on the planet!
