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The most dangerous city in France is just 2 hours from Paris!

undefined undefined 17 juillet 2025 undefined 08h30

The Editor

© Henryk Sadura / Shutterstock

Whether you're a Parisian or just passing through the City of Light, it's easy to think that the capital is full of dangerous neighborhoods where it's best not to linger at night. However, this new study reveals that the least welcoming city in France is actually much farther away, a two-hour train ride from Paris.

In April 2025, data released by the police and gendarmerie allowed for the creation of a ranking of the 366 French cities with more than 22,500 inhabitants that are considered the most dangerous. While the capital has dropped 3 places in one year, moving out of the top 5 to land on the 6th spot, another French city has taken the title for the first time this year. That city is Bordeaux!


A Rigorous Ranking

To develop this ranking, the study relies on figures from the Ministry of the Interior (which you can find right here), in order to calculate a crime rate per 1,000 inhabitants. Established from ten indicators – intentional injuries, sexual violence, burglaries, vehicle thefts, vandalism… – this ranking this year excludes data related to drug trafficking, which are too dependent on specific police operations. It also does not consider scams or drug use. However, it’s important to note that no adjustments are made for tourist influx or seasonal variations. This could disadvantage some cities… while benefiting others.


Bordeaux, crime city ?

This year, the Port of the Moon has climbed one spot in the rankings to take home the gold medal. This top position can be attributed to a steady level of crime, particularly driven by non-violent thefts, vandalism, and physical violence, while other major cities are seeing their numbers decrease. For comparison, Lille, once number one, falls to third place with a rate of 88.5 per thousand. In 2024, Bordeaux recorded a total of 25,220 crimes and offenses, with a population of 265,328. That’s a rate of 95 offenses per 1,000 inhabitants, putting Bordeaux at the top of the cities assessed this year. A sense of i .security confirmed by many local residents.


In Paris, a decrease in crime

The capital, on the other hand, is improving day by day. Ranked 3rd in 2023, it dropped to 6th place in 2024, much to our delight. A total of 173,316 crimes and offenses were recorded in 2024 compared to 199,013 in 2023, with a population of 2,113,705 residents. In the capital, the risk of becoming a victim of a crime or offense is 81.996 per 1000. According to the study, the most dangerous districts are the 8th (12,101 crimes and offenses for 35,418 residents), the 10th (16,565 crimes and offenses for 81,926 residents), and the 9th (10,342 crimes and offenses for 58,419 residents). Hoping we continue on the same path in 2025…