Islamabad and Lahore have emerged among the better-performing cities in Numbeo’s Crime Index 2026 Mid-Year report. The Pakistani cities recorded lower perceived crime scores than London, Paris, New York and Toronto.
Islamabad posted a Crime Index score of 30.8, the lowest among Pakistan’s major cities covered by the survey. Lahore followed with 36.2. Rawalpindi scored 52.0, while Karachi recorded 57.6. Lower scores indicate less concern about crime and a stronger perception of public safety.
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The results place both Islamabad and Lahore ahead of several major global centres. Paris recorded a Crime Index score of 57.9, followed by London at 55.3 and New York at 50.8. Toronto posted 43.7, which remained above Lahore and Islamabad.
What the Numbeo Scores Show
Numbeo classifies Crime Index scores between 20.01 and 40 as low. Scores from 40.01 to 60 fall into the moderate category. Under that scale, Islamabad and Lahore both remained in the low-crime perception range. Rawalpindi and Karachi fell within the moderate range.
The Safety Index works as the inverse of the Crime Index. This gives Islamabad a Safety Index of about 69.2 and Lahore about 63.8. Numbeo states: “A city with a high Safety Index is considered very safe.”
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The ranking covers more than 400 cities and offers a global comparison of how contributors view local security. However, it does not use police reports, court records or government crime databases. Therefore, the results should not be presented as proof of actual crime levels.
Survey Measures Public Perception, Not Official Crime
Numbeo builds the index from responses submitted by visitors to its website. It asks contributors about general crime levels and whether they feel safe walking alone during daylight and at night.
The survey also measures concern about mugging, robbery, vehicle theft, physical attacks and harassment. It covers burglary, vandalism, violent crime, drug activity, corruption and bribery. Numbeo scales the responses from zero to 100 and applies filtering systems to remove suspicious submissions.
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The platform uses data collected during the previous five years for its continuously updated index. It also publishes historical snapshots twice each year. Numbeo says it requires a minimum number of contributors before including cities, although response totals can differ widely between locations.
The mid-year results provide a positive perception-based signal for Islamabad and Lahore. They suggest that residents and visitors generally feel more secure there than respondents in several famous global cities.
Still, differences in reporting habits, contributor profiles and local expectations can affect international comparisons. The index offers insight into public confidence, but official crime data remains necessary for a complete assessment of urban safety.
