Shocking EU survey: Budapest citizens do not feel safe after dark

Based on a recently published survey of the European Commission, Budapest is not among the places in Europe where people feel safe to walk home on the streets after dark. That is surprising if we consider how many times the Hungarian government communicates that Hungary is a much safer place than Western and Northern Europe, where illegal migrants cause serious security problems.

According to turizmus.com, the European Commission found that, on average, seven out of ten Europeans feel safe when walking home on the streets of their city after dark. Copenhagen is the safest city in that regard, while Rome is one of the least safe ones.

82% of the citizens think they can go home after dark without any problems in the Danish capital, Oviedo (Spain), and Ljubljana (the capital of Slovenia). Meanwhile, that rate is only 38% in Rome. That may mean only young men and women in good health would choose to walk home on the street of the Italian capital after dark.

Safety is low in Sofia, Athens, Ostrava, Istanbul, Liége, Napoli, and Marseille. In Miskolc, Northeastern Hungary, only 48% of the locals would walk home after dark.

In Budapest, that rate is significantly higher, 60%. However, that is way below the European average. In 2019, that rate was 67%.

Read also:

The most crime-ridden areas of Hungary – Read more HERE
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Tens of thousands of Hungarians live in this safe heaven

This may be surprising since the Hungarian government is proud that they do not let illegal migrants into the country. Furthermore, they regularly communicate that in Western and Northern Europe, so-called no-go zones were born, so those cities are perilous, especially after dark. That is because, according to them, migrants do not respect the rules of the place or the country.

However, even in Paris, Vienna or Munich, 74-80% of the people would feel safe walking home after dark.

Interestingly, Bucharest is in the same category as Budapest. However, in Kolozsvár (Cluj Napoca) in Transylvania, more than 80% of the locals would not be scared to walk home alone after sunset. That result is the best in the Carpathian Basin. According to the 2021 census, more than 33 thousand Hungarians live in Kolozsvár, “the capital of Transylvania”.

The most dangerous places in Europe – considering the data of the European Commission – are in Italy, the Balkans and the Carpathian Basin.

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7 Comments

Hugo says:

01/02/2024 at 05:29

And Brussels??! The capital city of Europe and my country? We have there the No go zones were the police has the order not to enter!
Michael Steiner says:

01/02/2024 at 07:38

LOOOOL!!!!! These people must think we have potatoes growing out of our ears. Budapest is SUPER safe, even for a kipah-wearing Jew like me, anytime day or night. Sure, you avoid certain places, such as subway station concourses (Blaha Lujza ter!) but even there it’s not as if you’d get violently assaulted. Vienna and Munich might be reasonably safe but PARIS!?! Total absurdity. But, then, looking at who did this “research,” none of this is surprising.
Falland says:

01/02/2024 at 09:37

Perhaps the European Commission could have identified which parts of Budapest felt unsafe to them. Anyone who has actually been to Budapest will know this survey is nonsense. Compared to other European cities, public transport is unthreatening even late at night, the drunks are rarely aggressive, and even in the “party zone” at night the vibe is friendly, if boisterous, with none of the aggression that is often encountered elsewhere. Just another piece of Hungary bashing by Eurocrats who need to get a proper job.
Rick and Mary says:

01/02/2024 at 14:51

As Hungarian born American citizens, we find this ” survey” to be an amusing fictional hatchet job. We are blessed to be able to come home to Budapest 2 or 3 times each year and feel totally safe …unlike most cities in the USA! We are proud of the strides that the Orban led government have implemented over the last 15 years toward making Budapest the jewel that it is.
Anonymous says:

01/02/2024 at 15:05

When in Paris, Barcelona, and Brussels, I must always remain cautious even in the daylight =)))). Whose this survey?=)))
ostanus says:

01/02/2024 at 23:13

Not too long ago I had to run from a junkie coming angrily at me. Oh well, this was at broad daylight after work at 5pm at 5th district so it wasn’t dark. Maybe at night you all feeel safe but I won’t be going out alone then.

Its great to read that so many commenters are among the minority of not encountering any issues in Budapest. For the majority of us, we do not feel perfectly safe alone in Budapest after dark, just like in any other major city.
adrian juhasz says:

20/02/2024 at 15:18

there are safe and no safe zones in every city , I was in nepsinhaz utca tam 28 , 3 guys smoked meth next to me while going to blaha lujza ter. it is not really safe to meet with a guy who shutdown his reptilian brain without fear they are capable of doing anyting , another thing I have witnessed 3 guys attacked to a bar in the 6th district they were also on meth. it is not everyday events but police needs to stop radaring and focusing on petty things instead they need to find the source of meth epidemic in budapest.