Mangaluru Tops India, Qingdao Ranks First Worldwide in Numbeo Safety Index 2026

The Numbeo Safety Index 2026 rankings have been released, providing a global snapshot of city level safety perceptions. Covering 304 cities worldwide, the index ranks cities based on crime and safety-related survey responses. Notably, Mangaluru in Karnataka emerged as the safest city in India, while Qingdao in China topped the global list, reflecting varying urban safety conditions across regions.

Why in News?

The Numbeo Safety Index 2026 rankings were released in January 2026, highlighting Qingdao (China) as the world’s safest city and Mangaluru (India) as the safest Indian city based on safety perception scores.

What Is the Numbeo Safety Index?

• The Numbeo Safety Index is an annual global ranking that measures perceived safety and crime levels in cities and countries.
• Released by Numbeo, it is based on survey responses collected from users worldwide.
• Respondents rate safety-related factors such as walking alone at night, violent crime, property crime, and overall security.
• The data is then filtered, weighted, and scaled to generate a score ranging from 0 to 100, where a higher score indicates greater perceived safety.
• The index is widely used for comparative urban studies and competitive exam analysis.

Ranking Methodology Explained

• Numbeo collects data through crowd-sourced online surveys, where responses are scored between -2 (very negative) and +2 (very positive).
• These responses are statistically processed to reduce bias and generate a final safety score.
• Cities are classified into categories: Very Low (below 20), Low (20–40), Moderate (40-60), High (60-80), and Very High (above 80) safety levels.
• The 2026 edition covers 304 cities globally, offering one of the most comprehensive safety comparisons available.

Top 10 Safest Cities in the World (2026)

Top 5 Safest Cities in India (2026)

India’s Overall Performance in Safety Rankings

• India ranked 70th globally among countries, with an overall safety score of 55.8, placing it in the moderate safety category.
• While some Indian cities such as Mangaluru and Ahmedabad performed well, large metropolitan areas like Delhi, Noida, and Gurugram ranked among the least safe cities in India.
• Delhi was ranked 255th globally, highlighting challenges related to urban crime, policing, and infrastructure in mega cities.

Safest and Least Safe Countries (2026)

• The United Arab Emirates topped the list of safest countries with a score of 86.0, followed by Qatar and Andorra (84.8 each).
• Other high-ranking countries included Taiwan, Macao (China), and Oman.
• On the other end, Papua New Guinea, Venezuela, and Haiti ranked among the least safe countries globally, reflecting persistent law-and-order and governance challenges.

About Numbeo

• Numbeo was established in 2009 and is headquartered in Belgrade, Serbia.
• It is the world’s largest crowd-sourced database on cost of living, quality of life, pollution, traffic, and crime.
• The CEO of Numbeo is Mladen Adamovic.

Question

Q. Which Indian city was ranked the safest in the Numbeo Safety Index 2026?

A. Ahmedabad
B. Jaipur
C. Mangaluru
D. Coimbatore