Puerto Vallarta has earned the distinction of being ranked as the second safest city in the country based on the perception of its citizens, according to data released by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi). The findings were published in the National Urban Public Safety Survey, which was conducted from November 27 to December 15, 2023, corresponding to the fourth quarter of the same year.
The survey, aimed at gauging the social perception of public safety in urban areas, is considered nationally representative and plays a crucial role in informing public policy decisions regarding security. The latest results shed light on the safety perceptions of residents in various Mexican cities, with Puerto Vallarta notably making significant progress in this regard.
In the survey, respondents over the age of 18 were asked about their feelings of safety in their respective cities. Puerto Vallarta garnered a commendable score, with 19.4 percent of its inhabitants indicating that they felt unsafe within the city. This marked a notable improvement from the previous survey conducted in October 2023, where Puerto Vallarta was ranked sixth with a perception of insecurity score of 22.5 percent.
Topping the list of safest cities was the Benito Juárez delegation of Mexico City, with 15.2 percent of its residents expressing a sense of insecurity. Following closely behind Puerto Vallarta were other cities such as Piedras Negras, Coahuila (20.5 percent), Mérida, Yucatán (22.2 percent), and La Paz, Baja California (22.4 percent), demonstrating that safety perceptions vary across the nation.
On the other end of the spectrum, the survey also highlighted cities where residents reported feeling less safe. Fresnillo, Zacatecas, ranked as the city with the lowest safety perception, with a staggering 96.4 percent of residents expressing concerns about safety. Other cities with low safety perceptions included Naucalpan de Juárez, Mexico City (91.0 percent), Uruapan, Michoacán (89.9 percent), Ecatepec de Morelos, State of Mexico (88.7 percent), Zacatecas, Zacatecas (87.6 percent), and Cuernavaca, Morelos (85.7 percent).
These findings underscore the importance of ongoing efforts to address public safety concerns in various regions of Mexico, while also acknowledging the positive strides made by Puerto Vallarta in improving its residents’ sense of security.
The Inegi survey serves as a valuable tool for both policymakers and the public, offering insights into the evolving landscape of safety perceptions in Mexico’s urban areas and informing strategies to enhance security and well-being for all residents.
The portrayal of the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) by the government and the majority of media outlets often raises concerns. It is essential to clarify that the Inegi’s safety survey relies solely on the perception of safety gathered through citizen interviews and does not incorporate any concrete crime statistics. Therefore, it is crucial to emphasize that the survey’s findings do not establish Puerto Vallarta as the second safest city in Mexico according to official crime data; rather, Puerto Vallarta ranks second in Mexico for where citizens feel the safest.
Puerto Vallarta has earned the distinction of being ranked as the second safest city in the country based on the perception of its citizens, according to data released by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi). The findings were published in the National Urban Public Safety Survey, which was conducted from November 27 to December 15, 2023, corresponding to the fourth quarter of the same year.
