8 of the World’s Most Violent Cities

Now that countries are starting to open themselves back up again for traveling, it’s time to think about your next trip. You could visit Barcelona, Paris or Prague. On the other hand, if you live on the edge, you might consider a city more daring due to its high murder rates (although we wouldn’t recommend it). Sadly, there are plenty of places in this world that are best avoided, and when we say “places” it appears you ought to stay away from most of Mexico if the Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice is to be believed. With that in mind, here are the 8 most dangerous cities in the world.

1. Celaya, Mexico

The Mexican state of Guanajuato’s third largest city with a population of nearly 640,000, you should probably think twice about making plans to spend your next vacation here. The homicide rate is 109.38 per 100,000 inhabitants, making it the world’s most dangerous city. The main culprits? Rival gangs duking it out over drug trafficking and stolen gasoline.

2. Tijuana, Mexico

The second biggest city in all of Mexico shares a 15-mile border with the thriving California city of San Diego, which makes you think it might be safe. But nope. Around 105 murders take place for every 100,000 people, and this doesn’t even take into account all of the rape and kidnappings. Turf wars between various drug cartels don’t help matters.

3. Ciudad Juárez, Mexico

Once upon a time, Ciudad Juárez was the place where folks across the border in El Paso, Texas would go when they wanted to experience the nightlife. Those days are over thanks to the skyrocketing crime rates. Aside from a murder rate of 103.61 per 100,000, robbery, burglary, and carjackings are common occurrences in the largest city in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Naturally, drug cartels are also to blame for many problems as is government corruption. Violence toward women has increased dramatically in recent years, which is yet another reason to stay away.