Osh

Is Osh safe?

Yes, for most visitors. Kyrgyzstan's second city has about 485,000 people and a low murder rate: UNODC recorded 1.75 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 Kyrgyzstan in 2020, and in Gallup's 2025 survey 77% of people in the country said they feel safe walking alone at night. Police recorded 3,113 crimes in Osh city in 2025, about 6.4 per 1,000 people, roughly half the rate in Bishkek.

The catches are the same as in the capital, minus some of the crowds. Street theft and muggings after dark, roads on which the country lost 900 people in 2025, basic hospitals and a high earthquake risk set the score. We give Osh 65 out of 100, two points below Bishkek: crime is lower per head, but there are no city road figures and medical care is further from the capital's private clinics.

What happened in 2010, and does it matter now?

Osh is still known abroad for June 2010. On 10 June, clashes between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks broke out in the city and spread across the south, leaving more than 400 people dead, thousands injured and almost 2,000 houses destroyed, according to Human Rights Watch. An international inquiry found that attacks on Uzbek neighbourhoods in Osh were systematic.

That was 16 years ago. 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 current advice for Kyrgyzstan names no risk specific to Osh, and its regional warnings cover only the Tajik border. For a visitor the practical lesson is the general one: demonstrations happen in Kyrgyzstan and can turn violent with little warning, so walk away from any crowd.

Theft, muggings and the walk home

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 street crime, including bag-snatching and mugging, is a risk across Kyrgyzstan, and Canada calls muggings and pickpocketing frequent, with thieves working markets, public transport, currency exchange booths and the areas near big hotels. In Osh that means the bazaars and the crowded minibuses. Carry a small amount of cash, keep your phone in a front pocket and change money inside a bank.

After dark, the advice from both governments is to ride, not walk. The FCDO suggests private cars or pre-arranged taxis at night, and Canada says foreigners on foot at night, alone or in small groups, have been followed and robbed. Book taxis through an app or your guesthouse rather than flagging one down. Canada also warns of fake police officers who ask travellers to pay fines on the spot: offer to walk to the nearest police station instead.

You must carry your passport or a notarised copy, and police can arrest you without it. Drinking in public is banned, and the FCDO warns of drink spiking in bars.

Roads and getting out of town

Kyrgyzstan recorded 900 road deaths in 2025, about 12 per 100,000 people, and Osh publishes no figure of its own. 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 many roads are poorly lit and badly maintained, roadworks are often unsigned and pedestrians pay little attention to traffic. Canada calls public transport unsafe because of poor maintenance and reckless driving, and says to avoid shared and street taxis.

Osh lies in the south, not far from the Uzbek and Tajik borders. The Kyrgyz and Tajik governments signed a border treaty in 2025 and the FCDO reports no clashes since, but it still warns of possible unexploded ordnance and mines in the Batken border areas. Canada says the southern regions are prone to smuggling near the borders with Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Use only official crossings and check which are open before you go. Avoid long drives at night, when unlit roads and tired drivers combine. Read our Kyrgyzstan page for the mountain roads.

Hospitals, anthrax and earthquakes

Medical care is the weak point. 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 hospitals in Kyrgyzstan often badly equipped and unhygienic, with limited drugs and no guarantee of sterile equipment, and advises accepting only basic or essential treatment. Buy insurance that covers evacuation. The FCDO also reports anthrax cases, mainly in the south, linked to unvaccinated animals: avoid handling livestock, raw hides or meat of unknown origin. CDC says rabid dogs are common, so keep clear of street dogs.

No 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 figure is published for Osh, so we cannot compare its air with Bishkek's.

The FCDO rates the earthquake risk in Kyrgyzstan as high. USGS records a magnitude 6.7 quake near Uzgen in 1924, about 54 km from Osh, a 6.2 near Kochkor-Ata in 1992, 63 km away, and a 7.3 in the mountains about 150 km south-east in 1974. Pick a newer, well-built hotel where you can. Power cuts are frequent in winter, so carry a power bank.

How we scored it

Violent crime (83) is Osh's strongest factor, on Kyrgyzstan's 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, as Osh publishes no murder figure. Theft and scams (67) sit two points above Bishkek because all recorded crime per head is about half the capital's; there is no city theft figure. Traffic safety (49) is the weakest and rests on the national count of 900 deaths, followed by natural hazards (52) and health and environment (53), for the earthquake risk and basic hospitals. Confidence is medium because most figures are national.