Is Istanbul Safe for Women? Crime Rate in Istanbul

Safety rating

Moderate
3.4 /5

Women living in Istanbul consider the safety level to be moderate, with an overall safety rating of 3.4 out of 5.

Crime rating

Moderate
2.9 /5

Women living in Istanbul consider the crime rate to be moderate, with an overall crime rating of 2.9 out of 5.

Violence rating

6%

On average 6% percentage of women in Turkey 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 347 experiences

Safety rating:

3.4/5Moderate

Safety walking alone after dark:

2.7/5Moderate

Safety using public transport:

3.8/5Safe

Crime rate:

2.9/5Moderate

Worries of being sexually harassed:

2.9/5Moderate

Worries of being sexually assaulted or raped:

2.6/5Moderate

Worries of being physically attacked:

2.5/5Moderate

Worries of home broken and things stolen:

1.9/5A bit worried

Worries of being mugged or robbed:

2.3/5A bit worried

Worries of being kidnapped or murdered:

2.3/5A bit worried

How safe is Istanbul?

Istanbul is not safe. Any event can happen at any time. Be careful. I don't go out alone in the dark. I don't trust people. There are theft incidents. Your bag can be stolen outside. Someone can try to enter your house.

Posted: July 7, 2025
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tanbul is mostly a safe city, but it depends on where exactly you are. For example, tourist areas are generally safe, there are always police around, but you still need to be careful. You should be aware of scams (there are quite a few). Other than that, I’d say Istanbul is as safe as any other major city. Just try not to look too much like a tourist!

Posted: July 7, 2025
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It has safe areas and unsafe areas. Touristic places are safer than other places, but at night it feels unsafe either way. The scene where the friends first meet never happened in the show, though.

Posted: June 30, 2025
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Because of the economic downturn, the sociological behaviors of people has changed a lot in the past few years. As a woman especially, I don’t feel safe at nights while walking around in the city unfortunately.

Posted: June 30, 2025
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Ayşe

Ayşe

You can trust people in Istanbul because they would always try to help you to find your way around. And everyone is really friendly. I think you should not be worring about your safety because the level of being unsafe is almost the same with all European countries. Don't worry, just enjoy this beautiful city.

Posted: June 25, 2025
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Asel

Asel

İstanbul is a safe country. This is happens in most countries probably, I'm not feeling safe at nights. But in the morning I'm not disturbed from men or women so I can say most of the districts are safe.

Posted: June 20, 2025
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Is Istanbul worth visiting?

Travel rating

4.5 /5

based on 112 experiences from female travelers

Solo travel

I spent like around 1K in five days and overall experience was great but it’s a very expensive city. I’d love tourist attractions like Topkapi Palace, it was amazing. So in my opinion the city is very safe because me and my friend we hang out like till night even and not some tourist areas of the city but still we we felt safe

Posted: July 11, 2025
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Silvia

Silvia

Germany

Solo travel

Features everything you could ever want to vist, good food, nice buildings, good transport. Problem, I didn't feel very safe. People there try to profit off the fact that youre not from around. But otherwise nice. Bring water

Posted: June 24, 2025Experienced: May, 2024
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Safety in Turkey

Frequently asked questions

Is Istanbul safe?

Women living in Istanbul consider the safety level to be moderate, with an overall safety rating of 3.4 out of 5.

Is Istanbul safe to walk alone at night?

Women living in Istanbul consider walking alone at night to be moderately safe, with an overall safety rating of 2.7 out of 5.

Is public transport safe in Istanbul?

Women living in Istanbul consider public transport to be relatively safe, with an overall safety rating of 3.8 out of 5.

What is the crime rate in Istanbul?

Women living in Istanbul consider the crime rate to be moderate, with an overall crime rating of 2.9 out of 5.

What is the risk of being sexually harassed in Istanbul?

Women living in Istanbul consider the risk of being sexually harassed to be moderate, with an overall risk rating of 2.9 out of 5.

What is the risk of being sexually assaulted or raped in Istanbul?

Women living in Istanbul consider the risk of being sexually assaulted or raped to be moderate, with an overall risk rating of 2.6 out of 5.

What is the risk of being physically attacked in Istanbul?

Women living in Istanbul 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 Istanbul?

Women living in Istanbul 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 Istanbul?

Women living in Istanbul consider the risk of being mugged or robbed to be relatively low, with an overall risk rating of 2.3 out of 5.

What is the risk of being kidnapped or murdered in Istanbul?

Women living in Istanbul consider the risk of being kidnapped or murdered to be relatively low, with an overall risk rating of 2.3 out of 5.