Tokyo is world's safest city
Photo: Luke,Ma
The Japanese capital is the most populous city in the world, but while large crowds of people can sometimes be dangerous, the city is far from it. In fact, according to the latest index from Economist Intelligence Unit, it is the safest place on the planet.
Safety is closely linked to wealth and economic development. Unsurprisingly, a division emerges in the Index between cities in developed markets, which tend to fall into the top half of the overall list, and cities in developing markets, which appear in the bottom half.
Indeed, significant gaps in safety exist along these lines within regions. Rich Asian cities (Tokyo, Singapore and Osaka) occupy the top three positions in the Index, while poorer neighbours (Ho Chi Minh City and Jakarta) fill two of the bottom three positions.
Tokyo performs most strongly in the digital security category, three points ahead of Singapore in second place.
However, wealth and ample resources are no guarantee of urban safety. Four of the five Middle Eastern cities in the Index are considered high-income, but only one makes it into the top half of the Index: Abu Dhabi, which, at 25, is 21 places above Riyadh at number 46. Similar divides between cities of comparable economic status exist elsewhere: Seoul, for example, is 23 positions below Tokyo in the overall ranking (and 46 places separate the two on digital security).
US cities perform most strongly in the digital security category, while Europe struggles. New York is the only US city to make it into the top ten of the overall index (at 10). However, it is third for digital security, with three of the four other US cities in the Index (Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago) joining it in the top ten. Meanwhile, European cities perform relatively poorly. London, at 16, is the highest-ranking European entry in the digital security index; Rome is the lowest, at 35.
"Technology is now on the frontline of urban safety, alongside people," notes the report. "Data are being used to tackle crime, monitor infrastructure and limit the spread of disease."
Nonetheless, leaders in digital security "must not overlook real-world risks". Indeed, Los Angeles falls from 6th place in digital security to 23rd for personal safety, while San Francisco drops from 8th to 21st. For these cities, both home to high-tech industries, a focus on technology and cyber security does not seem to be matched by success in combating physical crime.
The EIU also highlights the importance of feeling secure, with only Zurich and Mexico City enjoying the same rank in perceived safety as in measured, overall safety. Urban citizens in the US, for instance, tend to feel less safe than they should.