Casablanca

Is Casablanca safe?

Yes, for most visitors, and in some ways it is easier than Morocco's tourist cities. Morocco recorded 1.7 homicides per 100,000Homicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary people in 2023, according to UNODC data published by the World Bank, and the national police (DGSN) say violent crime fell 10% in 2025. Casablanca is a city of about 3.2 million people (2024 census) that runs on business rather than tourism, so you meet fewer touts than in the souks of Marrakech.

The catches are different. Bag and phone snatching, sometimes from passing motorbikes, is the crime most likely to touch a visitor, and the UK Foreign Office says robbers have used knives against tourists in big cities. Crossing the road takes real care, the air is dusty, and Casablanca was hit by suicide bombings in 2003 that killed at least 41 people. We score it 64, a little above Marrakech (62) and Cairo (60).

Street crime and how to avoid it

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 pickpocketing, bag snatching and drive-by motorbike theft of jewellery and handbags as common in Morocco, especially in medina quarters and on beaches. Canada adds markets and parks, and warns of card fraud and thefts at cash machines. In Casablanca the places to be alert are the crowds around the old medina, the markets and parks, and the beaches and seafront.

• Carry your bag on the side away from the road, and keep your phone in your hand or pocket rather than on a café table near the kerb.
• Use cash machines inside banks or shopping centres.
• After dark, take a taxi between districts rather than walking through quiet streets. Canada says armed robbers have injured and in some cases killed people, so never resist.

Fake guides exist here too, but the main sights, including the Hassan II Mosque and the Corniche, lie outside a large tourist medina, so the pressure is lighter than in Marrakech or Fez.

Terrorism and protests

On the night of 16 May 2003, suicide bombers set off five explosions in central Casablanca within half an hour, hitting a Jewish community centre, the Casa de España restaurant and social club, a hotel and the Belgian consulate. The BBC reported at least 41 dead, including 10 bombers, most of the victims Moroccans. 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 still says terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Morocco and names transport hubs, crowded places and sites popular with foreigners as possible targets. The US rates Morocco Level 2 for terrorism. Moroccan police regularly break up cells, and hotels and major sites have visible security.

Canada says demonstrations happen mostly near government buildings in Rabat, Casablanca and other big cities, and that even peaceful ones can turn violent. Walk away from any crowd that is gathering.

Night and women travelling alone

Gallup's 2025 survey found 68% of Moroccans feel safe walking alone at night, against 82% in Egypt. 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's advice is to avoid quiet areas after dark. Busy, well-lit streets are generally fine in the evening; it is the walk back through empty side streets that carries the risk. The same advice applies in Tangier and Fez.

Women travelling alone report comments and persistent attention more than danger. The FCDO suggests loose clothing that covers arms, legs and chest. Canada says women in swimwear can be harassed on public beaches and advises tourist beaches instead.

Roads, air and floods

Traffic is the biggest physical danger. Morocco's road safety agency NARSA counted 4,577 road deaths in 2025, up 25.5% in a year and about 12.7 per 100,000 people. Pedestrians and motorcyclists were 70% of the dead, and in Casablanca, as in Rabat and Marrakech, red lights and zebra crossings are often ignored. Cross with locals, look both ways even on one-way streets, and ask taxi drivers to slow down. If you drive, Canada singles out the busy Rabat-Casablanca motorway.

The air is the other daily cost. The latest figure in the WHO database is an annual PM10 average of 51 µg/m³ in 2020, more than three times WHO's guideline of 15; no 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 figure is published. People with asthma should bring their inhaler.

The climate is mild. ERA5 data show July highs averaging 27 °C in 2021–2025, far cooler than Marrakech or Fez. The hazard is winter rain: in January 2021 storms flooded whole districts and brought down old houses, and at least one person died in a collapse in the old medina. The 2023 Al Haouz earthquake struck about 290 km away 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 says it killed almost 3,000 people, mostly in High Atlas villages.

Health care and water

Canada says private clinics in Casablanca are good for non-emergencies; 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 calls public hospitals limited. Have insurance that covers private care. Pharmacies open around the clock in every city, the FCDO says. It also reports deaths from methanol in alcoholic drinks, so drink only in licensed bars and hotels. Canada warns that public beaches in big cities are often polluted, and the FCDO notes limited lifeguard cover and strong Atlantic currents.

How we scored it

Violent crime (80) is Casablanca's strongest factor, on a low national homicide rateHomicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary with a deduction for terrorism. Traffic safety (48) is the weakest, followed by theft and scams (55), scored the same as Marrakech, Fez and Tangier: fewer fake guides, but as much bag snatching. Walking at night (65) uses Morocco's Gallup share 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 advice to avoid quiet areas after dark, the same as for Fez and Tangier. For the rest of the country, see our Morocco page.