Major urban centers in Latin America and South Africa dominate the list of the world’s least safe major cities in 2026, according to evaluation scores measuring personal safety out of a maximum of 100 points.
The assessment focuses on major metropolitan hubs defined by UN standards as having at least two million residents as of 2025.
Cali, Colombia, recorded the highest rating among the bottom ten locations with a safety score of 29.
Cape Town, South Africa, followed as the second least safe major city, earning a safety score of 26. Guayaquil in Ecuador and three Brazilian cities—Recife, Rio de Janeiro, and Fortaleza—all scored 25 points out of 100.
Brazil accounts for the largest cluster of cities in the bottom tier, with two additional entries: Fortaleza and Salvador, both registering safety scores of 24.
South Africa also figures heavily across the lower rankings. Durban registered a score of 20, while Johannesburg tied for the lowest score on the list at 19 alongside Caracas, Venezuela.
The evaluation outlines a stark safety deficit across these ten prominent global cities, with Latin American and South African urban areas occupying every position among the lowest-scoring major cities worldwide.
