Is Rio de Janeiro Safe for Women?

Safety rating

Unsafe
2.5 /5

Women living in Rio de Janeiro consider the safety level to be moderate, with an overall safety rating of 2.5 out of 5.

Crime rating

Moderate
3.1 /5

Women living in Rio de Janeiro consider the crime rate to be moderate, with an overall crime rating of 3.1 out of 5.

Violence rating

11.7%

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 20 experiences

Safety rating:

2.5/5Unsafe

Safety walking alone after dark:

1.4/5Very Unsafe

Safety using public transport:

2.8/5Moderate

Crime rate:

3.1/5Moderate

Worries of being sexually harassed:

3.2/5Moderate

Worries of being sexually assaulted or raped:

2.8/5Moderate

Worries of being physically attacked:

2.5/5A bit worried

Worries of home broken and things stolen:

1.9/5A bit worried

Worries of being mugged or robbed:

3.7/5Fairly worried

Worries of being kidnapped or murdered:

1.8/5A bit worried

How safe is Rio de Janeiro?

Larissa

Larissa

In Brazil, we have an expression called "dar mole" (to be soft), and that's what you can't do. So, don't leave your cell phone exposed on places full of people or empty streets, where it can be snatched away. Always keep your purse and backpack in front of your field of vision. Don't make foolish savings. If it's night, call a car or an Uber to get to your destination. Your life, integrity, and even your material stuff are much more expensive than an Uber or taxi ride. Avoid being too friendly with strangers; always be alert. I've never been robbed in Rio. I live in a good area here and feel safe, but these are some precautions I take to avoid becoming a statistic.

Posted: August 11, 2025
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Rayanne

Rayanne

Rio is not the most safe, bug also not as dangerous as some make it seem. There are certain areas that are worse than others and you must be street smart to get by. Don't leave your stuff unattended, keep your bag on your sight, don't walk in dark empty places, attention around you, research places, if possible get company or even better a local to show you around. I was born and raised in rio and it's a beautiful city, and I only got robbed once in new year (which is a dangerous day to go by anyways), but it's overall a very charming city.

Posted: June 8, 2025
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Fernanda

Fernanda

Rio is safe for somethings but not much for others... its a good place to travel alone but chose wisely the place you Will stay and the People you are going to talk to. Be smart and aclive here! Dont walk around with Professional câmeras, for exemple.

Posted: May 31, 2025
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Laura

Laura

The city of Rio de Janeiro is pretty diversified. In Zona Sul(South Zone), there are rich places, and I imagine that is the place tourists would stay more. In those places, everything works nice, but you always have to stay alert about robberies and thefts. In the rest of the Rio de Janeiro: Zona Norte(North Zone) and Zona Oeste(West Zone), things get more complicated. There are nice neighborhoods and bad neighborhoods. You should always stay alert to never go into a Favela for accident. As I said... there are good favelas and bad ones. Feel free to ask me more about it :) But me, as a local, can tell you that: No, you are not going to experience anything really bad in Rio. You just have to be careful. It's an amazing town.

Posted: May 21, 2025
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Lívia

Lívia

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, 2025
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Is Rio de Janeiro worth visiting?

Travel rating

4.4 /5

based on 23 experiences from female travelers

Suelen

Suelen

Brazil

Solo travel

In Rio de Janeiro, most touristic areas are safe. The local food is amazing. The beaches are impressive. People is very friendly. I highly recommend it. Attractions are not expensive for travelers. You can use the public transport without worry.

Posted: June 20, 2025
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Safety in Brazil

Frequently asked questions

Is Rio de Janeiro safe?

Women living in Rio de Janeiro consider the safety level to be moderate, with an overall safety rating of 2.5 out of 5.

Is Rio de Janeiro safe to walk alone at night?

Women living in Rio de Janeiro consider walking alone at night to be very unsafe, with an overall safety rating of 1.4 out of 5

Is public transport safe in Rio de Janeiro?

Women living in Rio de Janeiro consider public transport to be moderately safe, with an overall safety rating of 2.8 out of 5.

What is the crime rate in Rio de Janeiro?

Women living in Rio de Janeiro consider the crime rate to be moderate, with an overall crime rating of 3.1 out of 5.

What is the risk of being sexually harassed in Rio de Janeiro?

Women living in Rio de Janeiro consider the risk of being sexually harassed to be moderate, with an overall risk rating of 3.2 out of 5.

What is the risk of being sexually assaulted or raped in Rio de Janeiro?

Women living in Rio de Janeiro consider the risk of being sexually assaulted or raped to be moderate, with an overall risk rating of 2.8 out of 5.

What is the risk of being physically attacked in Rio de Janeiro?

Women living in Rio de Janeiro consider the risk of being physically attacked to be moderate, with an overall risk rating of 2.5 out of 5.

What is the risk of burglary in Rio de Janeiro?

Women living in Rio de Janeiro consider the risk of burglary to be relatively low, with an overall risk rating of 1.9 out of 5.

What is the risk of being mugged or robbed in Rio de Janeiro?

Women living in Rio de Janeiro consider the risk of being mugged or robbed to be relatively high, with an overall risk rating of 3.7 out of 5.

What is the risk of being kidnapped or murdered in Rio de Janeiro?

Women living in Rio de Janeiro consider the risk of being kidnapped or murdered to be relatively low, with an overall risk rating of 1.8 out of 5.