{"license":"CC BY 4.0 — attribution: IsMyTripSafe.com","source":"https://ismytripsafe.com/vietnam/ho-chi-minh-city","updatedAt":"2026-07-24T17:20:10.076Z","place":{"city":"Ho Chi Minh City","country":"Vietnam","countryCode":"VN","lat":10.82302,"lon":106.62965},"safety":{"score":73,"level":"SAFE","answer":"Yes — generally safe","saferThanPctOfCountries":50,"categories":[{"key":"advisories","label":"Advisories","score":90},{"key":"crime","label":"Crime","score":81},{"key":"health","label":"Health & Air","score":81},{"key":"stability","label":"Stability","score":57}]},"advisories":[{"source":"U.S. Department of State","level":1,"label":"Exercise Normal Precautions","updated":"Wed, 24 Jun 2026","url":"https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/vietnam-travel-advisory.html"},{"source":"UK Foreign Office (FCDO)","level":1,"label":"No advisory against travel","updated":"2026-06-26T11:10:13Z","url":"https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/vietnam"},{"source":"Government of Canada","level":2,"label":"Exercise a high degree of caution","updated":"2026-07-07T09:34:49.180000-04:00","url":"https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/vietnam"}],"indicators":[{"key":"homicide","label":"Homicide rate","value":1.53501286347562,"display":"1.5 / 100k","year":"2011","score":88,"source":"World Bank Open Data"},{"key":"crime_major_constraint","label":"Crime seen as a major business constraint","value":1.6,"display":"1.6%","year":"2015","score":94,"source":"World Bank Enterprise Surveys"},{"key":"terrorism_deaths","label":"Terrorism deaths (latest year)","value":0,"display":"0 recorded","year":"2021","score":96,"source":"Global Terrorism Database"},{"key":"road_deaths","label":"Road traffic deaths","value":17.7,"display":"17.7 / 100k","year":"2021","score":49,"source":"WHO Global Health Observatory"},{"key":"stability","label":"Political stability & no terrorism","value":65.9913074,"display":"66/100","year":"2024","score":66,"source":"World Bank Governance Indicators"},{"key":"rule_of_law","label":"Rule of law","value":51.5616803,"display":"52/100","year":"2024","score":52,"source":"World Bank Governance Indicators"},{"key":"corruption","label":"Control of corruption","value":42.7600555,"display":"43/100","year":"2024","score":43,"source":"World Bank Governance Indicators"},{"key":"gov_effectiveness","label":"Government effectiveness","value":49.5458577,"display":"50/100","year":"2024","score":50,"source":"World Bank Governance Indicators"},{"key":"regulatory","label":"Regulatory quality","value":50.6548775,"display":"51/100","year":"2024","score":51,"source":"World Bank Governance Indicators"},{"key":"voice","label":"Voice & accountability","value":37.6260947,"display":"38/100","year":"2024","score":38,"source":"World Bank Governance Indicators"},{"key":"numbeo_crime_index","label":"Crime index (crowdsourced)","value":49.7,"display":"49.7 / 100 · city-level","year":null,"score":50,"source":"Numbeo Crime Index"},{"key":"numbeo_safety_index","label":"Safety index (crowdsourced)","value":50.3,"display":"50.3 / 100 · city-level","year":null,"score":50,"source":"Numbeo Crime Index"},{"key":"safe_walking_dark","label":"Feel safe walking alone after dark","value":97.4,"display":"97.4%","year":"2020","score":97,"source":"UN SDG Global Database"},{"key":"violence_victimization","label":"Physical assault (past year)","value":1.2,"display":"1.2%","year":"2020","score":96,"source":"UN SDG Global Database"},{"key":"human_trafficking_victims","label":"Detected human-trafficking victims","value":0,"display":"0.00 / 100k","year":"2022","score":98,"source":"UN SDG Global Database"},{"key":"bribery_contact_rate","label":"Bribery during public-official contact","value":15,"display":"15.0%","year":"2019","score":67,"source":"UN SDG Global Database"},{"key":"air_quality","label":"Air quality","value":92,"display":"US AQI 92 · Moderate","year":null,"score":70,"source":"Open-Meteo Air Quality"},{"key":"health","label":"Travel health notices","value":null,"display":"3 global notices","year":null,"score":92,"source":"CDC Travelers' Health"},{"key":"hospitals","label":"Hospitals nearby","value":80,"display":"80 within 15 km · nearest ~1.3 km","year":null,"score":95,"source":"OpenStreetMap"},{"key":"weather","label":"Extreme weather","value":33,"display":"July: highs ~33°C · heavy rain / flooding","year":null,"score":82,"source":"Open-Meteo"},{"key":"natural_hazards","label":"Natural hazards","value":1,"display":"1 active alert · Drought (green)","year":null,"score":96,"source":"GDACS / USGS"},{"key":"advisory","label":"Government travel advisory","value":1,"display":"Level 1 — Exercise Normal Precautions · 2 govts","year":null,"score":83,"source":"US State Dept · Canada"}],"healthNotices":[{"level":"Alert","title":"Global Polio","url":"https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/level2/global-polio"},{"level":"Watch","title":"Global Dengue","url":"https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/level1/dengue-global"},{"level":"Watch","title":"Global Measles","url":"https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/level1/measles-globe"}],"hazardAlerts":[{"kind":"Drought","severity":"green","title":"Drought is on going in Australia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam","distanceKm":338}],"fieldResearch":{"verdict":"Yes — Ho Chi Minh City is generally safe for visitors, with violent crime rare, but petty theft (especially phone/bag snatching from motorbikes) and scams are common in tourist zones.","summary":"The data shows a city where homicide and terrorism risks are very low and 97% of people feel safe walking alone at night, yet the dominant threat to travelers is opportunistic street crime — motorbike-borne snatch thefts and pickpocketing in crowded areas like Ben Thanh Market and Bui Vien. Traffic chaos is the single biggest physical danger, causing thousands of deaths annually. Scams targeting tourists are frequent but rarely violent. Canada advises a high degree of caution due to petty crime; the U.S. and UK maintain only normal precautions.","robberyRisk":{"level":"Low","note":"Muggings and armed robberies targeting tourists are rare; most theft is non-violent snatch-and-grab. Isolated incidents involving knives/razors have been reported but are not the norm."},"pickpocketRisk":{"level":"High","note":"Motorbike-borne bag/phone snatching is the #1 reported tourist crime, especially in Districts 1 and 5; pickpocketing spikes in crowded markets (Ben Thanh) and nightlife zones (Bui Vien)."},"safeAreas":["District 1 (central tourist core, well-patrolled)","District 3 (quiet, residential, adjacent to D1)","District 7 / Phu My Hung (modern, expat-friendly, wide streets)"],"avoidAreas":["District 4 (higher street-crime rates, fewer tourist amenities)","District 8 (higher crime, limited tourist infrastructure)","Pham Ngu Lao / Bui Vien late at night (intense nightlife, scams, pickpocketing spikes after dark)"],"scams":["Motorbike phone/bag snatch — passenger grabs device from hand near curb","Fake taxi / rigged meter — use Grab, Be, or Xanh SM apps only","Friendly-stranger invitation to home for 'family advice' → pressure for money or gambling","Currency confusion — polymer notes (20k/500k VND) look similar; count change carefully","Fake monks soliciting donations near pagodas","Shoeshine bait-and-switch — unsolicited 'repair' then high demand"],"zones":[{"name":"District 1 (Centre, Ben Nghe, Ben Thanh)","level":"safe","note":"Tourist heart, well-lit, heavy police presence; petty theft clusters around Ben Thanh Market and Bui Vien after dark — stay alert."},{"name":"District 3 (Vo Thi Sau, Nguyen Dinh Chieu)","level":"safe","note":"Quiet, tree-lined residential area with boutique hotels; very low crime, easy walk to D1 attractions."},{"name":"District 7 (Phu My Hung, Tan Phong)","level":"safe","note":"Planned modern district, wide sidewalks, expat community; lowest street-crime rates in the city."},{"name":"District 5 (Cho Lon / Chinatown)","level":"caution","note":"Busy markets and narrow lanes; bag-snatching from motorbikes frequently reported here — keep valuables secured and away from curb."},{"name":"Binh Thanh District (near Bui Vien, backpacker fringe)","level":"caution","note":"Transition zone with budget hostels; nightlife spillover brings pickpocketing and scam attempts after 10 PM."},{"name":"District 4 (Khanh Hoi, Ward 1-18)","level":"avoid","note":"Higher street-crime rates, limited tourist infrastructure, poorly lit alleys; no major sights for visitors."},{"name":"District 8 (Wards 1-16)","level":"avoid","note":"Industrial/residential with elevated crime reports and few visitor services; not a tourist area."}]}}