Barcelona
Spain · Europe
The safety picture
A plain-language read of the sourced figures belowBarcelona scores 71 out of 100, placing it safer than about 38% of the cities we rank.
The crime figures need a caveat: both are reported for the wider province rather than the city, and we calculated the rates ourselves from a count and a population. Homicide comes out at 0.7 per 100,000, well below the median for the cities we track. Robbery is far higher at 366.3 per 100,000, and because it covers the province, the city itself could differ. The governments split on framing. The US and Canada set Spain at their second advisory level, increased caution, while the UK and Australia keep it at their lowest. All four flag pickpocketing and scams for visitors. In a city-level survey, 67% of residents said they feel safe walking alone after dark.
Safety dimensions
Larger area = more concernHomicide / general violence
Primary source: Ministerio del Interior (España) — Sistema Estadístico de Criminalidad (SEC), Series anuales
Robbery (police-recorded)
Primary source: Ministerio del Interior (España) — Sistema Estadístico de Criminalidad (SEC), Series anuales
Travel advisories
Primary source: U.S. Department of State — Spain Travel Advisory
Primary source: Global Affairs Canada — Spain Travel Advice and Advisories
Primary source: UK FCDO — Spain travel advice
Primary source: Australian Government (DFAT Smartraveller) — Spain travel advice
Perceived safety
How safe people say they feel, from official population surveys — a separate signal, not part of the Safety Index.Primary source: Eurostat — Quality of Life in European Cities (Flash Eurobarometer, DG REGIO)
Primary source: Eurostat — Crime, violence or vandalism in the area (EU-SILC)
Tourist-specific incidents
How often government travel advisories mention each — a source-consensus signal, not a risk rate.Primary source: Global Affairs Canada — Spain travel advice (Safety and security)
Primary source: Global Affairs Canada — Spain travel advice (Safety and security)