Bengaluru

Is Bengaluru safe?

Mostly, yes. Serious violence against visitors is uncommon: the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) counted 176 murders in 2024, about two per 100,000 residents on its population base. The city also has some of the cleaner air among India's big cities. What lowers its score is the traffic, which kills more people than in any Indian city except Delhi, a high count of thefts and recorded crime against women well above Mumbai's rate.

We score Bengaluru 63 out of 100, below Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai but well above Delhi. Our India page covers the rest of the country.

Traffic is the main danger

The road transport ministry (MoRTH) counted 894 road deaths in Bengaluru in 2024, after 915 in 2023, up from 646 in 2020. Only Delhi had more. On the 2011 census population that is about 10 per 100,000, close to Delhi's rate, and the city has grown a lot since then. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary warns pedestrians across India to take care even at marked crossings, especially at night, because vehicles sometimes drive on the wrong side of the road.

For visitors this means:

• Use app cabs or the Metro rather than walking along main roads, particularly at night.
• Cross at signals and footbridges, never between moving lanes.
• Do not rent a scooter unless you already ride in heavy traffic at home, and wear a helmet if you do.
• Wear a seatbelt where there is one; the FCDO notes that back seats and autos often have none.

Theft and scams

Police recorded 9,229 thefts in Bengaluru in 2024, about 109 per 100,000 on NCRB's base, almost twice Mumbai's rate and far above Chennai's 33. The UK Foreign Office (FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary) warns of motorbike snatch thieves and pickpockets in India's cities, so keep phones in a front pocket and away from the kerb. It also says cybercrime, card skimming and confidence scams are common across India, so use ATMs inside banks and ignore unexpected calls or messages that claim to come from police, couriers or embassies.

Women's safety at night

Bengaluru recorded 4,748 crimes against women in 2024, the third most of India's 19 big cities after Delhi and Mumbai. Its rate, 117 per 100,000 women, sits between Mumbai's 74.6 and Delhi's 176.8. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says female travellers often face verbal and physical harassment in India and advises against travelling alone or hailing taxis on the street, especially at night.

Busy districts with bars and restaurants stay lively in the evening, but side streets empty quickly. Book cabs through an app and share the trip, keep drinks in sight (the FCDO reports spiked food and drinks used to rob travellers), and avoid walking alone on dark residential roads late at night.

Floods and crowds

Bengaluru is inland, away from the cyclone coasts and the Himalayan earthquake belt that the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary describes, so its natural risks are smaller than Chennai's or Kolkata's. Heavy rain is the exception. On 18 and 19 May 2025, the India Meteorological Department recorded 105.5 mm in 24 hours; about 500 homes flooded and three people died, according to The Federal: a woman under a collapsed wall, and a man and a boy electrocuted when water was being pumped out of a basement in BTM Layout. Roads in Koramangala, Indiranagar and around Silk Board junction were waterlogged, All India Radio reported. When storms hit, stay put, and keep away from underpasses and flooded basements.

Crowds are a separate risk. On 4 June 2025, 11 people died and 33 were injured in a stampede outside Gate 3 of Chinnaswamy Stadium during the Royal Challengers Bangalore team's IPL victory celebrations, Scroll reported. The FCDO advises avoiding large gatherings in India for this reason.

Air and health

The Central Pollution Control Board's continuous monitors averaged about 32 µg/m³ of PM2.5PM2.5Tiny airborne particles 2.5 micrometres across or smaller. They reach deep into the lungs and are the air pollutant most linked to early death.More in the glossary in 2024 and 29 in 2025, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), about six times the WHO guideline of 5 but roughly a third of Delhi's level. December to March is the worst stretch. Tap water is not safe to drink, and the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary lists dengue and malaria among India's health risks. It notes that government and private care is available in major cities; Bengaluru's private hospitals are good if you are insured.

How we scored it

Violent crime (80) is Bengaluru's strongest factor, held at the bottom of its band by crime against women. Natural hazards (68), health and environment (57), night safety (63) and theft and scams (62) are middling. Traffic (40) is the weakest, with the second most road deaths of any Indian city.