Karachi, Pakistan’s largest urban metropolis, is now the world’s second-riskiest city, behind Caracas, Venezuela. Forbes Advisor based its findings on a comparative study of 60 international cities. The study evaluated seven critical metrics: crime, personal safety, health, infrastructure, natural disasters, and digital security.
Forbes Advisor’s report indicates that Karachi encounters the highest personal security risks among the cities assessed. These risks stem from a combination of factors, including crime, violence, terrorist threats, economic instabilities, and vulnerabilities due to natural disasters.
Travel Advisories for Karachi
Supporting these findings, the US State Department recently issued a travel advisory, assigning Karachi one of the worst safety ratings globally. The advisory specifically points to “terrorism and ongoing violence by extremist elements,” which have led to indiscriminate attacks on both civilians and local military and police targets. As of June 2023, the State Department has escalated its warnings to a “Level 3” travel advisory, urging potential visitors to reconsider travelling to the region. Moreover, Karachi holds the fourth highest infrastructure security risk.
Comparing Global Risks and Safest Cities
At the very top of the risk list, Caracas, Venezuela, stands as the riskiest city worldwide, primarily due to its immense health security challenges and high crime rates, compounded by poor healthcare infrastructure and services.
Yangon, Myanmar, follows closely and is ranked third due to its leading digital security risk and significant personal security concerns. These encompass crime, violence, terrorist threats, natural disasters, and economic vulnerabilities.
In stark contrast, Forbes Advisor also identified the world’s safest cities, with Singapore leading the pack. Singapore enjoys the best travel safety rating from the State Department and faces the lowest natural disaster risk. It also holds a position for having the second-lowest health security risk.
Following Singapore, Tokyo, Japan, secures the second rank among the safest cities. It is recognized for its minimal health security risk and top travel safety ratings from the State Department.
Completing the top three safest cities, Toronto, Canada, claims its spot as one of the world’s most secure urban environments. These cities contrast sharply with the high-risk situations of Karachi, Caracas, and Yangon, presenting themselves as safe havens regarding health, personal safety, and infrastructure stability.
