India

Is India safe to visit?

Yes, with clear limits. India'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, 2.82 per 100,000 in 2022, is lower than the United States', and most of the millions of foreign visitors each year have no brush with violent crime. What makes India harder than its crime figures suggest is everything else: roads that killed 177,175 people in 2024, air in the north that is hazardous for months, stomach bugs, harassment of women, and a conflict zone in Kashmir. We score it 60, close to Thailand and above Mexico.

The roads are the biggest risk

WHO estimatesWHO 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 14.6 road deaths per 100,000 people in 2021. India's Ministry of Road Transport and Highways counted 177,175 road deaths in 2024, about 20 an hour, and the number is still rising. Speeding caused 70% of them. Most victims are pedestrians, cyclists and riders of two-wheelers, but car passengers die too, often without seatbelts in the back seat.

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 adds two specific warnings. Collisions with cows can draw angry crowds, and people in the vehicle may be attacked or asked for money. And vehicles sometimes drive on the wrong side of the road, so look both ways even on one-way streets. The Yamuna Expressway between Delhi and Agra, popular with tourists, has a history of high-speed crashes, especially in winter fog.

Women's safety

This is the question most often asked about India, and the honest answer is that harassment is common and serious assault, though rare for any single traveller, is a real risk. The US advisoryUS travel advisoryThe US State Department's rating of each country from Level 1 (exercise normal precautions) to Level 4 (do not travel).More in the glossary says rape is one of the fastest-growing crimes in India. 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 reports that British women have been sexually assaulted, including raped, in several states, and advises against being alone in isolated places, including beaches, at any time of day.

Practical steps help. Book Uber or Ola from airports, share the trip with someone, sit in the back, and avoid street taxis and autos alone late at night. Women-only carriages on the Delhi and Mumbai metro are worth using at rush hour. Goa, Rishikesh and the Kerala backwaters are relaxed, but the advice on isolated beaches applies there too.

Kashmir, the Pakistan border and terrorism

On 22 April 2025, gunmen killed 26 people, mostly Indian tourists, at the Baisaran meadow near Pahalgam in Kashmir. India blamed Pakistan-based groups and in May 2025 the two countries exchanged missile and drone strikes. The Wagah-Attari crossing is now closed. 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 advises against all travel to Jammu and Kashmir, except flights to and travel within Jammu city, and against all travel within 10 km of the Pakistan border. It also advises against all but essential travel to Manipur, where ethnic violence has continued since 2023.

Elsewhere, the FCDO says terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks, including in places used by foreigners. Big religious festivals carry another risk: stampedes, which the FCDO notes have killed people at crowded events.

Air, water and disease

From October to January, Delhi and the Indo-Gangetic plain suffer some of the worst air pollution of any populated region in the world. On bad days visibility drops and the air is hazardous for anyone with heart or lung disease. Tap water is unsafe nearly everywhere, so stick to sealed bottled water.

Dengue peaks after the monsoon, malaria is present in parts of the country, and rabies is common in street dogs and monkeys. Talk to a travel clinic about vaccines, including rabies, before you go. Private hospital chains in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai are good; in rural areas, care can be hours away.

Scams and theft

Touts at New Delhi railway station who say your ticket is invalid and steer you to a "tourist office", gem dealers in Jaipur who promise profits back home, and taxi drivers who say your hotel has burned down are standard. Card skimming and cyber fraud are common. 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 reports drinks and food being spiked, then the victim robbed.

How to stay safe in India

• Use a hired car with a driver for long trips; avoid night highway driving.
• Book Uber, Ola or pre-paid airport taxis.
• Drink sealed bottled water and eat freshly cooked food.
• Check the air quality index each morning in winter in the north.
• Stay out of Jammu and Kashmir (except Jammu city) and the Pakistan border zone.
• Save 112 for emergencies and 1091 for the women's helpline.

How we scored it

Violent crime (80) is the strongest factor. Health (50), natural hazards (50) and road safety (55) are weak, and conflict (55) reflects Kashmir, the 2025 clashes with Pakistan and the terrorism threat. Confidence is medium because the latest UNODC homicide figure is from 2022 and the US advisoryUS travel advisoryThe US State Department's rating of each country from Level 1 (exercise normal precautions) to Level 4 (do not travel).More in the glossary dates from June 2025. Compare Brazil, where crime is higher but roads are similar.