Is Brazil Safe for Women? Crime Rate in Brazil
Safety rating
Women living in Brazil consider the safety level to be moderate, with an overall safety rating of 3.4 out of 5.
Crime rating
Women living in Brazil consider the crime rate to be moderate, with an overall crime rating of 2.9 out of 5.
Violence rating
On average 11.7% percentage of women in Brazil have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner at some time in their life, according to OECD Data.
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Crime & Safety Statistics
Based on 157 experiences
Safety rating: | 3.4/5 | Moderate |
Safety walking alone after dark: | 2.5/5 | Moderate |
Safety using public transport: | 3.7/5 | Safe |
Crime rate: | 2.9/5 | Moderate |
Worries of being sexually harassed: | 3/5 | Moderate |
Worries of being sexually assaulted or raped: | 2.7/5 | Moderate |
Worries of being physically attacked: | 2.4/5 | A bit worried |
Worries of home broken and things stolen: | 2.2/5 | A bit worried |
Worries of being mugged or robbed: | 3.1/5 | Moderate |
Worries of being kidnapped or murdered: | 1.9/5 | A bit worried |
How safe is Brazil?
São Paulo
São Paulo is a great city to visit, sadly is getting unsafe, but not impossible to visit. You just have to be careful, at night I don't recommend walking, taking a taxi or Uber, is better. But in the daylight is a beautiful city, just take care of your belongings.
Posted: March 8, 2025
Elena
Florianopolis
Super safe, nothing happens here. Don't have to worry about safety and people are really nice, calm and sociable. Also, beaches are safe, plenty of tourists, nobody worries about robbery or violations.
Posted: March 1, 2025
Andreza
Bragança
Bragança is a very safe city, there is not much risk of thefts and attacks on the streets. Some streets are dark at night, so you need to be a little more attentive. However, compared to Belém, it is much safer.
Posted: February 24, 2025Brazil
I stayed in a relatively safe area in São Paulo. I walked around normally in all the places and used the metro. In the more crowded and touristy areas, I did notice some people using drugs and such. Aside from that, I had a great experience, and whenever I asked questions, the Brazilians were very kind. I should add that, like any place, you need to be cautious of people you don’t know and stay attentive to your personal belongings. Other than that, it’s a wonderful country with a lot of art, delicious food, and incredible architecture.
Posted: February 21, 2025Brasília
Except the “Rodoviária do plano piloto” and the highway call “W3”, Brasília is very safe. The places I mentioned have a lot of people and tend to have beggars too. In "W3" there are usually prostitutes at night too. I recommend not going to the satellite cities, as the center, the so-called "Plano Pilot" is much safer.
Posted: February 12, 2025Florianopolis
Floripa is a really safe city, with many nice beaches and neighborhoods. However, downtown is not very safe at night, so I wouldn’t recommend walking alone in this area at night. Areas like Campeche, Rio tavares, Lagoa da conceição are pretty safe
Posted: February 12, 2025São Paulo
São Paulo is a huge city and there are different levels of safety depending where you are. Generally it is safe to walk around alone as a woman, but be aware of pickpockets. I wouldn’t recommend walking alone at night on streets with little movement and always stay alert.
Posted: February 11, 2025
Julia
Araraquara
It's a safe city, the crime rate is low, and the city feels very safe after dark. There are not a lot of beggars, and people are very respectful, I've been living here for 3 years now and have never been sexually assaulted or anything like that.
Posted: February 9, 2025New Fribourg
Nova Friburgo is one of the safest cities in the state of Rio de Janeiro (and possibly even Brazil). It's a really calm and quiet city with around 200.000 habitants, so it's very unlikely that something would happen to you.
Posted: February 9, 2025
Lívia
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro is safe if you go to tourist places, Dont go to favelas just because it's famous, focus going to beaches, museums, shopping mall, and nature places. That way you wont get annoyed by bad intention ppl
Posted: February 5, 2025Is Brazil worth visiting?
Travel rating
based on 53 experiences from female travelers
Paula
Portugal
Rio de Janeiro, Solo travel
I loved Rio! I also managed to see some carnival celebrations as they started in January already! I felt very safe although I was also cautious because I know that it can be very unsafe there. Prices were very affordable but, as usually, in more touristic areas they were higher than they should be. I can definitely reccomend! And the weather was awesome.
Posted: February 3, 2025Experienced: December, 2024
Kassandra
Germany
Ilha do Superagui, Solo travel
The island is extremely chill. Apart from Christmas and New Year’s and carnival there is nothing going on. If you like that you’ll have a great time there. Just mind that many restaurants might be closed. Bar nativos seems to be one of the best food places on the island. First I was a bit stressed if it is okay to walk down the beach at night. But it seems to be okay. At least that’s what a local woman told me. The community there is so small. If you like it simple, easy-going and lots of nature join the right place. I had a room with breakfast in Pousada Maresia. Host Luis did a great job.
Posted: February 2, 2025Meet locals in Brazil
Maria
About Me
Hi, my name is Maria! I am a Brazilian student currently studying abroad at Cardiff University until July 2025. I would love to travel more throughout Europe and meet new people! 🇧🇷🏴
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junië
About Me
Hey! I’m Junie. 26 years old Brazilian travelling the world. Currently I work for a marketing company as a copywriter but I already worked in many areas. I was an English teacher for kids for 5 years :) I lived in Australia for a year, went back to brasil and now I’m travelling a bit more. Started in December 2024 and haven’t stopped since.
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Safety in Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
São Paulo
Florianopolis
Paraty
João Pessoa
Salvador
Salvador da Bahia
Belo Horizonte
Petropolis
Resende
Niteroi
Belem
Brasília
Goiania
Trindade
Ribeirao Preto
Frequently asked questions
Is Brazil safe?
Is Brazil safe to walk alone at night?
Is public transport safe in Brazil?
What is the crime rate in Brazil?
What is the risk of being sexually harassed in Brazil?
What is the risk of being sexually assaulted or raped in Brazil?
What is the risk of being physically attacked in Brazil?
What is the risk of burglary in Brazil?
What is the risk of being mugged or robbed in Brazil?
What is the risk of being kidnapped or murdered in Brazil?
