In a significant development, Puerto Vallarta has experienced a notable decline in the perception of security among its residents, according to the latest data from the National Urban Public Security Survey (ENSU) for the second quarter of 2024. Once considered one of the safest cities in Mexico, Puerto Vallarta has now fallen to the 13th position, a steep drop from its previous ranking of 7th place.
The ENSU, which aims to generate comprehensive information on the social perception of public safety in urban areas across the country, revealed that only 29.0% of Puerto Vallarta’s residents felt safe in their city during this period. This is a decline from the 25.1% recorded in the previous survey.
Examining the historical data, the survey results have shown fluctuating perceptions of safety in Puerto Vallarta. In December 2022, the perception of security was at 34.6%. This figure dropped to 26.5% in March 2023, rose slightly to 30.7% in June 2023, and saw a significant improvement to 22.5% in September 2023. By December 2023, it had further improved to 19.4%, before slightly declining again to 25.1% in the first quarter of 2024.
The ENSU’s objective is to provide crucial information for public policy decision-making in matters of security, and it is a nationally representative survey focusing on urban areas. In June 2024, 59.4% of the population aged 18 years and over, residing in 91 urban areas of interest, considered it unsafe to live in their city. This reflects a statistically significant improvement from the percentages recorded in March 2024 and June 2023, which stood at 61.0% and 62.3%, respectively. The survey identified 15 urban areas with statistically significant changes in perception compared to March 2024, with 10 showing reductions and 5 experiencing increases.
A gender-specific analysis revealed that 65.1% of women and 52.4% of men felt unsafe living in their cities. The urban areas with the highest perception of insecurity were Fresnillo (94.7%), Naucalpan de Juárez (89.2%), Uruapan (86.8%), Irapuato (84.8%), Tapachula (84.7%), and Zacatecas (84.7%). In contrast, the cities with the lowest perception of insecurity included San Pedro Garza García (11.7%), Piedras Negras (14.3%), Los Cabos (16.7%), Los Mochis (18.7%), Benito Juárez (18.9%), Saltillo (21.4%), Tampico (21.5%), Mérida (22.0%), Tepic (24%), and La Paz (24.7%).
Puerto Vallarta’s fall to 13th place places it behind other cities such as Cuajimalpa CDMX (24.5%) and San Nicolás de los Garza (28.5%).
The survey also explored the perception of insecurity in specific physical spaces. In June 2024, 67.9% of the population reported feeling unsafe at ATMs located on public roads, 62.7% on public transport, 53.7% on the road, and 52.9% at the bank.
Looking ahead, the survey revealed mixed sentiments about the future. In June 2024, 32.4% of the population aged 18 years and over, residing in the urban areas of interest, believed that the crime and insecurity situation in their city would remain as bad in the next 12 months. Additionally, 18.1% felt that the situation would worsen, while 18.8% believed it would remain as good, and 28.7% were optimistic that it would improve.
This latest data underscores the fluctuating nature of public perception regarding safety in urban areas, highlighting the need for ongoing efforts to improve security and build public confidence in cities like Puerto Vallarta.
It’s important to note that this is a survey of how the population feels, and it does not use crime reports or statistics to determine a city’s safety level.
In a significant development, Puerto Vallarta has experienced a notable decline in the perception of security among its residents, according to the latest data from the National Urban Public Security Survey (ENSU) for the second quarter of 2024. Once considered one of the safest cities in Mexico, Puerto Vallarta has now fallen to the 13th position, a steep drop from its previous ranking of 7th place.
