By Joyce Ekeh
Nigeria’s commercial capital, Lagos, has been ranked the 28th most dangerous city in the world in 2026, according to the latest Numbeo Crime Index, renewing concerns about public safety, rising insecurity and the challenges facing law enforcement in one of Africa’s fastest-growing megacities.
The ranking, published by Serbia-based global data platform Numbeo, places Lagos as the only Nigerian city among the world’s 50 cities with the highest crime index scores.
Lagos recorded a crime index of 68.8, placing it in the high-crime category under Numbeo’s classification system, which rates cities on a scale of zero to 100. Scores above 60 indicate high crime levels, while those exceeding 80 are classified as very high.
The Nigerian city ranked ahead of several major urban centres, including Damascus in Syria, New Orleans in the United States, San Juan in Puerto Rico and Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.
The survey also highlights persistent security concerns across Africa, with South African cities dominating the upper end of the ranking. Pietermaritzburg emerged as the world’s most dangerous city, followed by Pretoria in second place. Caracas, Venezuela, and Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, occupied third and fourth positions, respectively.
Johannesburg ranked fifth, Durban sixth and Port Elizabeth eighth, giving South Africa five cities among the top eight. Namibia’s capital, Windhoek, ranked 30th.
Beyond Africa, Brazil recorded five cities among the top 25, while several American cities, including Memphis, Detroit, Baltimore, Albuquerque and St. Louis, also featured prominently.
Other cities appearing in the top 50 include Kingston in Jamaica, Mexico City, Marseille in France, Manila in the Philippines, Birmingham in the United Kingdom and Houston in the United States.
Numbeo’s Crime Index considers several indicators, including residents’ perceptions of crime, their sense of safety when walking alone during the day or at night, and concerns about robbery, mugging, vehicle theft, burglary, physical attacks and harassment.
The index also considers perceptions of drug-related problems, property crime, violent crime and corruption.
However, the ranking should be interpreted with caution. Numbeo’s figures are derived from surveys completed by visitors to its website and reflect public perceptions and personal experiences rather than verified police-recorded offences or official national crime statistics.
The organisation uses respondents’ assessments to generate comparative scores across cities, while acknowledging that perceptions of insecurity may not always correspond with officially documented crime levels.
Nevertheless, Lagos’ position on the list brings renewed attention to the security challenges confronting residents, businesses and commuters in Nigeria’s commercial hub.
With its expanding population, intense commercial activity and growing urban pressures, the city faces increasing demands for effective policing, improved intelligence gathering, stronger community security structures and safer public spaces.
Security experts and policymakers will need to look beyond rankings and perceptions to strengthen evidence-based crime prevention, improve public confidence in law enforcement and address the underlying factors contributing to insecurity.
For millions of Lagos residents, the ultimate measure of progress will not be where the city appears on a global index, but how safe they feel in their neighbourhoods, on public transport, at work and in their homes.
