Amsterdam safest city in Europe, #4 globally: Economist
Amsterdam is the safest city in Europe and the 4th safest city in the world, according to the Safe Cities Index 2019 by the Economist Intelligence Unit. The top three safest cities in the world are Tokyo, Singapore and Osaka.
The researchers scored a total of 60 cities on 57 indicators covering the four "pillars" of safety. Digital security covered indicators like a city's privacy policy, citizens' awareness of digital threats, whether it has dedicated cyber security teams, and the risk of local malware threats. Infrastructure security looked at indicators like transport and traffic safety, pedestrian friendliness, disaster management, and the reliability of the road- and power network. Health security looked at environmental policies, access to healthcare, access to safe food, air and water quality, and life expectancy. And personal security looked at police engagement, available crime data, gun regulation and enforcement, and the effectiveness of the criminal justice system.
Amsterdam ended in 4th place globally with an overall score of 88 out of 100. The Dutch capital scored very well on infrastructure security (92), personal security (89.4) and digital security (89). Health security in Amsterdam scored 81.6 out of 100.
Based on Amsterdam's scores, it seems that infrastructure security is the easiest to achieve, while health security is the most difficult. Infrastructure security is the security pillar in which Amsterdam got both its highest score and lowest ranking in 16th place. Health security was Amsterdam's lowest score and highest ranking (4th place) among the four pillars.
Tokyo is the safest city in the world with an overall score of 92. Singapore is in second place with 91.5, followed by Osaka with 90.9, Amsterdam, and Sydney with 87.9. Washington DC is the first American city on the list in 7th place with a score of 87.6. And Copenhagen is the second European city on the ranking, sharing 8th place with Seoul with scores of 87.4. The least safe city in the world is Lagos in Nigeria, with an overall score of only 38.1.
