Czechia falls out of Europe's top 10 safest countries

According to the 2024 Safety Index by statistical aggregator Numbeo, Czechia is no longer among Europe's top 10 safest countries, ranking 12th. This is a sharp decline from last year’s position, when it was Europe’s eighth-safest state. However, Numbeo ranks it as the second-safest country in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).

To establish its index, Numbeo asked the residents of different countries about their general perception of safety where they lived. These questions included feelings of safety while walking during the day and night, concerns about specific crimes (such as hate-related or prejudice-based attacks), property crimes (like burglary or muggings), and fears about major crimes (such as murder or rape).

Czechia’s score on the Safety Index is 73.2 out of a possible 100, placing it higher than neighbors Austria, Poland, and Slovakia. According to the ranking, Czech residents also feel safer than those in Norway, Luxembourg, and Spain (ranked 17th, 21st, and 22nd respectively). Czechia is also safer than Germany, which is way down in 27th position. Slovenia is the only CEE nation perceived as safer than Czechia.

The 2023 Prague mass shooting likely contributed substantially to decreased feelings of public safety. Crime levels have however been on a broad decline in the past 10 years.

Czechia’s capital has previously performed well in safety-related rankings. According to a 2023 study by British insurance firm William Russell – which also sourced data from Numbeo – Prague is the world’s third-safest city for travelers and the safest destination in all of Europe.

On Numbeo, Prague has a “safety index score” of 75.53 out of 100, due to its relative low levels of crime and “well-trained police force.” Notably, “corruption and bribery” was the category with the highest score. 

The chances of “being mugged or robbed,” “subject to a physical attack,” or having one’s home broken into are adjudged to all be “very low.” Out of 156 minor and major cities across Europe, Prague is within the top 20 cities with the least crime. 

According to the index, Europe’s least safe country is Belarus, with a Safety Index score of just 43.6. France is the EU’s most dangerous nation, scoring under 45. Andorra is Europe's safest country.