Is Bulgaria Safe for Women? Crime Rate in Bulgaria
Safety rating
Women living in Bulgaria consider the safety level to be relatively high, with an overall safety rating of 3.8 out of 5.
Crime rating
Women living in Bulgaria consider the crime rate to be relatively low, with an overall crime rating of 2 out of 5.
Violence rating
On average 18.3% percentage of women in Bulgaria 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 85 experiences
Safety rating: | 3.8/5 | Safe |
Safety walking alone after dark: | 3.3/5 | Moderate |
Safety using public transport: | 4.3/5 | Safe |
Crime rate: | 2/5 | Low |
Worries of being sexually harassed: | 2.1/5 | A bit worried |
Worries of being sexually assaulted or raped: | 1.7/5 | A bit worried |
Worries of being physically attacked: | 1.8/5 | A bit worried |
Worries of home broken and things stolen: | 1.4/5 | Not at all worried |
Worries of being mugged or robbed: | 1.8/5 | A bit worried |
Worries of being kidnapped or murdered: | 1.4/5 | Not at all worried |
How safe is Bulgaria?
Sofia
I feel safe in my city, especially in my neighborhood. In the center there are some weird people but nothing has ever happened to me or my friends. Tourist spots aren't very crowded. Main streets are well lit. But there are a lot of stray dogs.
Posted: July 3, 2025Bulgaria
Bulgaria is known to be a safe country although people tend to be low-minded. Being different in some way may cause issues with the locals due to the lack of open-minded people. Unlike, young people seem to be extremely open and laid back.
Posted: July 1, 2025Sofia
Well, if you are walking late at night in Sofia in the center, you should be worried. There are a lot of drugged people and Arabs who are trying to manipulate you and steal something from you. You should be also aware in the Studentski Grad, there are a lot of troubles here too.
Posted: June 22, 2025Sofia
We stayed near Serdica and after dark there were a lot of people drinking and being rowdy on the streets. Even though I was with my boyfriend we felt very scared, both of us. In broad daylight I was also followed by a strange man from a cafe where he had been staring at me the entire time I was there. When he went inside I quickly gathered my things and started walking. However, we caught up to me and was talking in my ear for almost half a kilometre. It was clear I was being followed but no one intervened or said anything. It was really scary and I was paranoid for the rest of my trip. In general, the men made me very dry uncomfortable. I did some things on my own and I felt like I was being watched a lot. Even when I was with my boyfriend men would start uncomfortably at me. The beauty of the city was overshadowed by the weird vibe for women and the drunk people after dark.
Posted: June 20, 2025
Alice
Varna
Quite safe, not much to worry about except the birds that might steal your food. There are certain parts of the city that are full of robbers but it's usually far away from the center of the city. Might notice drunk and homeless people around at the center.
Posted: June 5, 2025Sofia
Sofia is a nice city. It has like every city has some minor crime scenes but nothing that would make it unsafe or dangerous. It is a family friendly city with many different activities. I would definitely recommend also visiting near cities like Plovdiv or the mountains that it has
Posted: May 30, 2025Is Bulgaria worth visiting?
Travel rating
based on 36 experiences from female travelers
Sofia, Couple travel
Overall, the city is beautiful and has so many gorgeous buildings with clearly different influences from history. Sofia feels very lived in, but overall it’s a chaotic place in my opinion. It’s a very walkable city with lovely public parks and green spaces to chill. We were really lucky with the weather and had a lovely time walking around. We stayed near Serdica metro, which was very convenient. However, at night time we felt a bit unsafe as there were a lot of people drinking on the street and being rowdy together. I also spent some time on my own and was followed from a cafe all the way to the Main shopping street by a man. That was very scary, and in broad daylight where nobody intervened as he was saying things to me. We visited some museums - the National Gallery which had a beautiful host of Bulgarian painters, as well as French and a (slightly misleading) Picasso exhibition. We also went to the museum of natural history which was charming, but mostly for kids and a little stuck in the 90s aesthetic wise. I also did the free Balkan Bites tour, it was so fun and my tour guide was really knowledgable. We got to try local cuisine, fusion items, and some Bulgarian wine. You are expected to tip though! Food wise: I highly recommend Kuzina for Greek food, Mezza for Turkish and Middle Eastern food, and I do not recommend Happy as my chicken was bright pink even after I send it back to be recooked.
Posted: June 20, 2025Experienced: June, 2025Sofia, Solo travel
Even though a few streets seemed sketchy literally nothing happened, the transportation was extremely well organized and not too overcrowded, plus even when it was nobody pushed personal boundaries. I stayed in an apparent next to the biggest square and it was amazing
Posted: May 12, 2025Safety in Bulgaria
Frequently asked questions
Is Bulgaria safe?
Is Bulgaria safe to walk alone at night?
Is public transport safe in Bulgaria?
What is the crime rate in Bulgaria?
What is the risk of being sexually harassed in Bulgaria?
What is the risk of being sexually assaulted or raped in Bulgaria?
What is the risk of being physically attacked in Bulgaria?
What is the risk of burglary in Bulgaria?
What is the risk of being mugged or robbed in Bulgaria?
What is the risk of being kidnapped or murdered in Bulgaria?
