Guangzhou

Is Guangzhou safe?

For a visitor, yes. Guangzhou is a huge trading city where violent crime is rare and falling: the city government says criminal case filings dropped every year to 2025, and 94% of people in China tell Gallup they feel safe walking alone at night. We score it 85 out of 100, between Shenzhen (86) and Shanghai (84).

The real risks here come from the climate more than from people. Guangzhou sits in the hot, wet Pearl River Delta, where mosquitoes spread dengue and chikungunya in summer, rainstorms flood streets and ozone builds up on still days.

Crime, scams and crowds

Guangzhou publishes trends, not raw numbers. Its 2026 work report says criminal case filings fell year after year, and the city was named one of China's first model cities for public security. Nationally, police say criminal cases fell 12.8% in 2025 to the lowest this century, and theft, robbery and fraud fell 21.2%. China's 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 was about 0.4 per 100,000 people in 2024 (National Bureau of Statistics). The figures are official and not audited independently, so we treat them as a strong sign rather than proof.

Where visitors do get caught out is with money. The UK Foreign Office warns about the tea-tasting or massage scam, where a friendly stranger leads you to a venue that then demands a large bill, and about unmarked or unmetered taxis, where foreigners have been robbed and sexually assaulted. Guangzhou is also a city of crowds: the main railway stations, the wholesale markets and the Canton Fair in spring and autumn draw huge numbers. Keep your phone in a front pocket and close your bag.

Mosquitoes, ozone and hospitals

This is the factor that holds Guangzhou back. 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 dengue is present in Guangdong in the rainy season from May to November. In July 2025 a chikungunya outbreak in neighbouring Foshan passed 5,000 confirmed cases and spread to other cities in the province, and Guangzhou ran a week-long citywide campaign to clear mosquito breeding sites. The city says both outbreaks were brought under control. If you visit between May and November, use repellent, cover up at dawn and dusk, and see a doctor about any fever with joint pain or a rash.

Annual 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 was 21.5 µg/m³ in 2025, according to China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment, which is cleaner than Shanghai (26.3) and Beijing (27.0) but four times the WHO guideline of 5. Guangdong's bigger problem is ozone: Guangzhou was among the five cities with the highest ozone levels in the province in 2025, and the worst days are hot and sunny. People with asthma should check the air quality index.

Medical care is among the best in southern China, with large university hospitals in the centre, though English is limited outside international clinics and payment is usually needed up front. Drink bottled or boiled water.

Rainstorms and typhoons

Guangzhou sits further inland than Hong Kong and Shenzhen, so typhoon winds usually arrive weaker, but the rain does not. In 2025 the city dealt with 39 rounds of heavy rain and Super Typhoon Ragasa, and it says it fixed 78 spots that regularly flood.

When a red or black rainstorm warning is issued, stay off low roads and underpasses and expect metro entrances to close. Summers are long, hot and humid, so plan sightseeing for the morning and evening. Earthquake risk is low.

Getting around

Guangzhou's official road record is very good. Hong Kong's Transport Department puts it at 7 deaths per million people in 2025, the second lowest of the 29 cities in its table, and the city says road deaths are 27% below 2020. Chinese police counts are thought to miss many deaths (the WHO estimateWHO road-death estimateThe World Health Organization's estimate of road traffic deaths per 100,000 people in a country, adjusted for deaths that police statistics miss.More in the glossary for China is about four times the official figure), so read this as a floor rather than an exact number.

On foot, the hazard is the electric scooter. Delivery riders are fast and quiet and often use the pavement, and cars may turn right on a red light. The metro, which serves Baiyun airport, the Canton Fair complex at Pazhou and the high-speed rail stations, is the safest way to travel.

The law and exit bans

Guangzhou follows mainland China's rules, and the US and UK both warn about exit bans in business disputes and broad national security laws. This matters most to traders and others with commercial disputes in China, a real point in a city built on export deals. Ordinary tourists are rarely affected. See our China page.

How we scored it

Violent crime (93) and walking at night (93) use the same basis as our other mainland cities. Traffic (87) is high on official figures. Health and environment (73) is the weakest factor because of mosquito-borne disease and ozone, and natural hazards (72) reflects rainstorms and typhoons. Confidence is medium because the city publishes trends rather than crime counts.