Perth

Is Perth safe?

Yes. Perth is a safe city to visit, and most visitors meet nothing worse than sunburn. WA Police recorded 16 murders and 10 manslaughters across the Perth metropolitan region in the year to June 2026, about 1 per 100,000 among nearly 2.5 million people. Across all of Western Australia, including its remote north, the Australian Bureau of Statistics counted 42 homicide victims in 2025, about 1.4 per 100,000. The US State Department keeps Australia at Level 1, its lowest advisory.

The catches are a robbery rate well above Sydney's, nights in Northbridge, and roads. Perth's metro road toll rose sharply in 2025, and summer brings heat and bushfires in the hills on the city's edge. We score Perth 83 out of 100, level with Melbourne and Brisbane, and a little below Sydney (85).

Theft, robbery and cars

Robbery ran at 1,236 offences across the metro region in 2025–26, about 50 per 100,000 people, close to Melbourne's rate and more than twice Sydney's. Most theft is from cars: police recorded 14,434 thefts from vehicles in the year. Car theft itself is lower than in Melbourne or Brisbane, at 3,119 vehicles, about 126 per 100,000, against roughly 480 in Melbourne.

Home burglary is falling. Dwelling burglaries in the metro area dropped from 6,646 in 2024–25 to 5,312 in 2025–26. For a visitor in a hire car or short-let apartment, the advice is the same as anywhere in Australia: leave nothing on show in the car, especially at beach and national park car parks, and keep bags in sight at the beach. 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 also warns of fake accommodation websites, so book through known platforms.

Northbridge and the CBD after dark

Gallup's 2025 report finds 66% of Australians feel safe walking alone at night, and Perth's night-time trouble sits mostly in one police district. The Perth district, which covers the CBD and Northbridge, recorded 1,911 assaults outside the family in 2025–26, plus 238 assaults on police officers. Northbridge, just north of the railway, is where most of the bars and clubs are.

The CBD, Elizabeth Quay, Kings Park and Fremantle are busy and fine in the evening. Late at night, stay on lit main streets, avoid arguments outside venues and take a taxi or ride app rather than walking long distances. On late trains, sit near other passengers.

Roads: the weak spot

Western Australia's road toll has been climbing. The Road Safety Commission counted 188 road deaths across the state in 2024, the worst result for nearly a decade, and 74 of them were in the Perth metropolitan area, about 3.1 per 100,000 people. That is above the rates for Greater Sydney and Melbourne. In 2025 it got worse: RAC reported that metro road deaths from January to July were 63% higher than a year earlier.

Over 2020 to 2024, the commission says 11% of the people killed or seriously injured in the metro area were pedestrians and 7% cyclists, and about half were hurt in crashes at intersections. Traffic drives on the left, so look right first. Transperth trains and buses reach the CBD, Fremantle and the northern beaches, and are the safest way to get around after a drink.

Heat, fire and the beach

Perth summers are hot and dry, and UV is very strong. 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 that extreme heat is a serious risk in Australia and that bushfires peak from November to February. Fires start in the bush on the city's edge: in February 2021 the Wooroloo fire in the Perth Hills burned more than 10,500 hectares and destroyed 86 homes, according to the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience. Smoke can drift over the city during fires. Download the Emergency WA app before driving into the hills or the Darling Range in summer.

The beaches are generally calmer than Sydney's, but rip currents still form. Swim between the red and yellow flags on patrolled beaches such as Cottesloe and Scarborough. Sharks are present along the whole coast; the state's SharkSmart service posts sightings and beach closures.

In normal conditions the air is clean: Australia's population-weighted 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 4.5 µg/m³ in 2024, within the WHO guideline. Tap water is safe and emergency care is excellent. Dial 000 in an emergency. For risks outside the city, from long outback drives to the cyclone coast up north, see our Australia page.

How we scored it

Health and environment (92) and violent crime (86) are Perth's strongest factors. Night safety (74) is the weakest, scored level with Melbourne because late-night assaults cluster in Northbridge and the CBD and robbery runs at a similar rate. Natural hazards (80) reflect heat and bushfires, and traffic safety (82) is lower than for Sydney or Melbourne because of the rising metro road toll.