The safety level in Vancouver is considered high, with an overall safety index of 3.7 out of 5.
The crime rate in Vancouver is considered low, with an overall crime index of 1.6 out of 5.
On average 13.6% percentage of women in Canada have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner at some time in their life, according to OECD Data.
Based on 14 reviews
Safety index: | 3.7/5 | Safe | |
Safety walking alone after dark: | 3.5/5 | Moderate | |
Safety using public transport: | 3.9/5 | Safe | |
Crime index: | 1.6/5 | Low | |
Worries of being sexually harassed: | 1.3/5 | Not at all worried | |
Worries of being sexually assaulted or raped: | 1/5 | Not at all worried | |
Worries of being physically attacked: | 1.2/5 | Not at all worried | |
Worries of home broken and things stolen: | 1/5 | Not at all worried | |
Worries of being mugged or robbed: | 1/5 | Not at all worried | |
Worries of being kidnapped or murdered: | 1/5 | Not at all worried |
Vancouver is safety but the increase of homeless people makes me concerned about being alone sometimes, mainly downtown areas. Tourists places are pretty much safe. Public transportation is safe as well.
Posted: August 25, 2024Stella
There are some more sketchy parts that you should avoid, but that’s a small area compared to the rest of Vancouver. By and large, if you avoid those areas, you are totally safe and don’t have to worry.
Posted: August 2, 2024Kathryn
Overall, Vancouver is very safe! I live in Ladner, a suburb outside Vancouver, but I am describing Vancouver as I have lived there before and because I commute to Vancouver a few times a week, and tourists probably are more interested in Vancouver than my little suburb. I've felt safe walking after dark in most residential neighborhoods. I still felt safe in downtown Vancouver, but felt it's a good idea to act confident and look like I know where I am going, so I felt safe but not that I want to completely lose my guard. The only area I'd recommend tourists avoid is the downtown Eastside. I don't think you're going to get killed or mugged there, and I've been through the area by bus as I used to volunteer in another low income neighborhood near by, but I would still try to avoid hanging out for long periods of time there if possible. It has a high amount of people who are homeless and sometimes on drugs, and a lot of the businesses in the area have bars over the windows, in comparison to other neighborhoods in Vancouver. The tricky thing is that the downtown Eastside is a few blocks away from two tourist destinations: Chinatown and Gas Town. If you do end up wandering over there, don't panic, just walk a few blocks out and you will be in a different neighborhood, or get on a bus and busses come frequently and I always feel safe on the bus. The other possibly sketchy place is Wreck Beach at UBC, just because it is the only nude beach in BC. To get to wreck beach, you have to hike down a long flight of wooden stairs. Near the bottom is a sign that says "clothing optional beyond this point" I hiked down in the Fall when it was too cold for anyone to take off their clothes and everyone at the beach had their clothes on, fortunately
Posted: July 27, 2024Vancouver is a fairly safe metropolitan city except for some areas you need to stay weary of, especially at night. East Hastings or Wall E in Surrey for example, might not be safe for female travellers.
Posted: July 17, 2024Kate
I feel pretty safe in Vancouver but there are a number of unhoused communities in certain neighborhoods and streets. I dont feel unsafe around them though since they keep to themselves and aren’t agressive.
Posted: July 15, 2024Ava
Vancouver is generally safe unless you are staying/living near the downtown Eastside. The area is full of homelessness and addiction which makes people unpredictable and a little bit scary from the outside.
Posted: June 30, 2024No place in the world is perfect, but I feel mostly safe in my area (kerrisdale) Vancouver, and downtown Vancouver. I don’t feel safe in the downtown east side, some skytrain stations at night, and industrial places.
Posted: June 27, 2024Vancouver is a very safe city! The only area to avoid is Hastings street after cambie street until Hawks street because there are lots of homeless. Other than that you can walk all over at all times of the day!
Posted: June 15, 2024Claudia
I would say the area of the city really matters in Vancouver, anywhere on the downtown east side or along east Hastings can get iffy after dark. However, I wouldn’t say that it’s necessarily dangerous, if you keep to yourself then you’ll probably be fine. The sky train is highly monitored so I would say it feels very safe there. Either way, during the the daytime it’s safe pretty much anywhere
Posted: June 8, 2024It’s fairly safe, however growing up there we did experience a break in at the family home, as well as in my vehicle when I was older. All in all, keep your wits about but theft and crime does happen. It is overall very safe.
Posted: June 7, 2024Based on 9 experiences
Aiman
Canada
Vancouver has a very safe feel, a great transportation system with skytrains and buses throughout most of the Metro Vancouver area. There are many cheap attractions like the countless beaches the city has including Wreck Beach, Jericho Beach, English Bay, Ambleside etc. There are countless trails, areas for camping close by like Whistler and Squamish, a lot of natural beauty.
Posted: July 18, 2024Experienced: June, 2023eva
Canada
Safety wasn't as good since I was staying at people's homes. It's very expensive here for everything. I mostly used buses, trains, and hitchhiking. There are many things to do, but most require a car. I went to Vancouver Island and to Vancouver so far.
Posted: May 31, 2024based on 9 experiences
Karen
Mexico
Vancouver is a very beautiful city. I would recommend you to go to Stanley park and rent a bike, make sure you do it early because they close at 5pm approximately. Go and get some souvenirs but they’re a bit expensive. Try to use Sky train, there are different stations, you can always check on Google Maps to help you. Just set your destination, also with tell you to take the bus that is really useful. You can pay with your credit or debit card. People the is very helpful when your lost so don’t hesitate when asking for help. If you need some clothing, depends the season, go to any Thrift store, you’ll love them, if you want to save money.
Posted: July 6, 2024Cynthia
Canada
I walked around most of the time. But the transportation is convenient here, bus, sky train, sea bus and some share bikes. It’s quite easy to get some tourists spots then. But for the other places which are far away from downtown, need a car will be much more easier.
Posted: April 22, 2024Michelle
I'm Michelle, a Brazilian-Canadian living in Vancouver with my husband since 2016. I used to work in finance, but lately, I've been trying to rediscover myself after feeling a bit lost this past year. I'm hoping to move to a sunnier place as soon as I can, but since that's not possible right now, I'm planning to take a month off to travel solo, explore new countries, and make some new friends.
Gabby
I am a traveler who is in Canada right now. I love meeting new people and learning about cultures. I am into sports. Originally from Lithuania. I love board games!