Hong Kong

Is Hong Kong safe?

Yes. Hong Kong has very little street crime: police recorded 208 pickpocketing cases and 66 robberies in all of 2025, in a city of about 7.5 million people. We score it 88 out of 100, a little below Singapore and Tokyo, mainly because of typhoons and air quality. Our China page covers the mainland.

The 2025 homicide count looks alarming at 194, but 168 of those were deaths in the November 2025 Wang Fuk Court fire in Tai Po, which police classified as manslaughter. Without the fire, there were 26 homicides, about 0.35 per 100,000, close to Japan's level.

Scams and theft

Pickpocketing fell by more than half in 2025, from 476 to 208 cases. Crowded places such as the Mong Kok night markets, the Star Ferry piers, the MTR at rush hour and hotel lobbies are where 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 asks visitors to take extra care of passports and cards.

Fraud is the real crime problem. Police recorded 43,212 deception cases in 2025, more than twice the number of thefts. Most are phone and online scams aimed at residents: callers posing as mainland officials or police, fake investment platforms, romance scams and fake online shops. For a visitor, the risks are smaller but real:

• Phishing texts and WhatsApp messages claiming to be from your bank, the airport or a parcel company.
• Fake booking and ticket sites, especially for popular concerts and Disneyland.
• Overpriced electronics or "grey" goods sold in some independent shops. Use big chains or check the price before paying.

Hong Kong Police run the Scameter search engine (on the CyberDefender site and app), where you can check a phone number, website or account before you pay.

Nightlife and walking at night

Hong Kong is busy at almost every hour, and that helps. Streets in Central, Wan Chai, Tsim Sha Tsui and Causeway Bay stay full past midnight, and women walking home alone is normal. Police recorded 1,137 indecent assaults in 2025, down 4% on 2024.

Lan Kwai Fong in Central and the Lockhart Road bars in Wan Chai are the places to keep your guard up. 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 of drink spiking, and bar fights do happen late at night. On big nights such as Halloween and New Year's Eve, police close streets and run one-way crowd control in Lan Kwai Fong. Follow those routes and avoid the steep, narrow lanes when they are packed.

Laws are stricter than many visitors expect. All cannabis products, including CBD oils and sweets, are illegal. The FCDO warns that national security laws can be interpreted broadly, apply to foreigners and cover online posts. Do not join protests or carry political slogans.

Typhoons, rainstorms and heat

This is Hong Kong's weak point. Typhoon season runs from May to November. In 2025 the Observatory raised the top No. 10 hurricane signal twice: for Typhoon Wipha in July and for Super Typhoon Ragasa, issued at 2.40am on 24 September. During Ragasa, trees and signboards fell, scaffolding tilted in Mong Kok, the MTR halted outdoor sections and storm surge flooded parts of Heng Fa Chuen.

The city is extremely well drilled. At signal No. 8 most offices, shops, buses and ferries shut, 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 notes that public transport stops. If a typhoon is forecast during your stay:

• Install MyObservatory and watch the signal number.
• Get to your hotel before signal No. 8 is raised, and stock water and snacks.
• Expect flights at Hong Kong International Airport to be cancelled or delayed for a day.

Black rainstorm warnings bring flash floods and landslides on hillsides. Summer heat is the more common risk. July and August bring high temperatures with high humidity, and heat exhaustion is a frequent reason hikers on the Dragon's Back, Lantau Peak or MacLehose Trail need rescue.

Air, water and roads

Air is the other weak point. 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 16.4 µg/m³ in 2024 (IQAir), more than three times the WHO guideline, and winter days with northerly winds bring the worst readings. Tap water from government supply meets WHO standards, though old pipes in older buildings can affect taste. Hospitals are excellent; non-residents pay a higher fee at public emergency departments, so travel insurance matters.

Roads are safe for a dense city: 96 deaths in 2025, about 1.3 per 100,000. Pedestrians make up more than half of them, mostly elderly people crossing against lights. Traffic drives on the left, and minibuses (the red and green ones) drive fast. Use the MTR, trams and Star Ferry, which are cheap and safe.

How we scored it

Violent crime (96), traffic (91) and walking at night (90) are near the top of our scale. Natural hazards (72) is the weakest factor because of typhoons, rainstorms and landslides, and health and environment (80) loses points for air quality. Theft and scams (88) reflects very little street theft but a large fraud problem. Compare Seoul for another big Asian city with low crime and seasonal air problems.