Is Liverpool Safe? Crime Rates & Safety Report

Updated On November 7, 2023
Liverpool, United Kingdom
Safety Index:
56
* Based on Research & Crime Data
User Sentiment:
52
* Rated 52 / 100 based on 35 user reviews.

Liverpool is a major city in the United Kingdom, specifically in England, Merseyside.

It gained its reputation and fame mostly because of its world-famous football teams, as well as culture, The Beatles and buzzing nightlife.

Liverpool is a very dynamic city, always changing; new things are happening all the time, new businesses and restaurants.

It is reasonably safe for a city of its size, too.

Any reputation to the contrary that it might have is from a Liverpool of 40 years ago.

The architecture in and around the city is fantastic, with more and more modern facilities that will appeal to many.

Liverpool is diverse and regardless of where you are from and what you enjoy you will find something to please you.

Warnings & Dangers in Liverpool

Overall Risk

OVERALL RISK: MEDIUM

Liverpool is considered a somewhat safe city. Even though there are parts that are dangerous and should be avoided, it is mostly safe to travel to, and if you use your common sense, your trip should go smoothly.

Transport & Taxis Risk

TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW

Taxis and other forms of transportation are known to be very safe and reliable in Liverpool, as would be expected in such a developed English city.

Pickpockets Risk

PICKPOCKETS RISK: MEDIUM

Pickpockets represent the most common form of street crime in Liverpool. It is common to a certain degree and there are even some locations known for pickpockets operating in and around them. Take basic precaution measures.

Natural Disasters Risk

NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: LOW

You can relax when it comes to natural disasters, because, apart from the constant raining, there are no threats!

Mugging Risk

MUGGING RISK: LOW

When it comes to mugging and kidnapping, Liverpool is relatively safe. However, you should be careful and avoid dangerous areas where you could get attacked.

Terrorism Risk

TERRORISM RISK: HIGH

The entire United Kingdom, and with it Liverpool, has recently been targeted by several terrorist attacks and it is now publicly announced that the threat to the UK is severe.

Scams Risk

SCAMS RISK: MEDIUM

Since Liverpool is so filled with tourists, it only makes sense that there will always be people trying to scam them. Always be cautious with people trying to distract you, help you with your luggage, or groups of people acting strange. Always check your change twice and negotiate everything in advance.

Women Travelers Risk

WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW

Liverpool is mostly very safe for women to travel to. Just follow your basic common sense and general rules of things to avoid, and you should be fine.

So... How Safe Is Liverpool Really?

In general, Liverpool is much safer than many other cities in England, but you’d still be surprised what dangers might await in a city that’s smack dab in the middle of Europe’s most popular and respected country.

Violent crime is rare here and there is a very low probability that, as a tourist, you will experience anything more than petty crime.

However, Liverpool can often be dangerous in some areas at night as you can run into groups of drunken people acting strange.

Crime rates here are broadly in line with the European average (though there are significant variations between different parts of the UK).

You should avoid wearing football shirts or showing any kind of support for any football team because such shows of support might end violently since rivalries are taken very seriously in Liverpool, the very “football city”.

The biggest nuisance for tourists has to be the risk of pickpockets, so you should be very careful when visiting important city landmarks and tourist areas, or crowded places such as airports, train or bus stations, and public transportation.

Do not leave your valuables in plain sight or at a visible place in a locked car, and always lock the car when exiting the vehicle.

Pickpockets, as well as beggars often work in teams.

How Does Liverpool Compare?

CitySafety Index
Liverpool56
London68
Northern Ireland56
Belfast56
Edinburgh70
Scotland71
Glasgow55
Buenos Aires (Argentina)60
Vancouver (Canada)82
Cordoba (Argentina)61
Toronto (Canada)81
Melbourne (Australia)80
Montreal (Canada)81

Useful Information

Visas

Visas

Member countries of the EU do not need visas to enter Liverpool, as well as some other countries, but there is a considerable number of countries that do. Your passport should be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of entry into the United Kingdom. If you are not sure about your visa status, contact your local British embassy for further information.

Currency

Currency

The British pound is the currency in Liverpool. Keep in mind that this is one of the most expensive countries in Europe and the prices of accommodation in such a famous English city are skyrocketing.

Weather

Weather

Liverpool has a temperate maritime climate characterized by relatively mild temperatures year-round, while winters (Nov–Mar) are usually rainy. As with most of the UK, the most popular time to visit Liverpool is in late spring and summer, although early-autumn can also be pleasant.

Airports

Airports

Liverpool John Lennon Airport is an international airport serving North West England. The airport is located within the City of Liverpool itself, some 12 km southeast of the city center.

Travel Insurance

Travel Insurance

Just like anywhere else, we recommend getting travel insurance when traveling to Liverpool, since it covers not only the costs of medical problems but also theft and loss of valuables.

Click here to get an offer for travel insurance

Liverpool Weather Averages (Temperatures)

Jan 6° C
Feb 6° C
Mar 7° C
Apr 8° C
May 11° C
Jun 13° C
Jul 16° C
Aug 16° C
Sep 14° C
Oct 11° C
Nov 8° C
Dec 7° C
Choose Temperature Unit

Average High/Low Temperature

Temperature / MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High
°C
7791114161919171398
Low
°C
4455810131210965
High
°F
454548525761666663554846
Low
°F
393941414650555450484341

United Kingdom - Safety by City

CitySafety Index
Aberdeen63
Bath81
Belfast56
Birmingham44
Bradford42
Brighton67
Bristol58
Cambridge78
Canterbury79
Cardiff64
Coventry41
Dundee60
Edinburgh70
Exeter77
Glasgow55
Inverness73
Leeds56
Leicester43
Liverpool56
London68
Manchester44
Newcastle upon Tyne72
Northern Ireland56
Nottingham56
Oxford66
Peterborough70
Salford43
Scotland71
Sheffield74
Southampton65
Surrey77
York83

Where to Next?

35 Reviews on Liverpool

  1. T
    Tide Swell says:

    Tip for Liverpool

    “Leave a tip for others?”
    OK, I will. I’m from Liverpool but emigrated some 45 years ago to the other side of the world.
    Take my advice and avoid Liverpool like the plague.
    Believe me, the best part of the city is the road out it – particularly one heading south.

    1. A
      As tounded says:

      Oh you silly person. How can you comment on a city you haven’t lived in for 45 years. Look at the stats Liverpool is safer now than the majority of big cities. It’s packed with beautiful buildings, steeped in culture and full of life

    2. The place became so much better when the likes of you left.

    3. Ahh you are quoting Ringo about the road out. We’ve just visited and a had a great time. The city needs a clean up but the people are lovely

  2. S
    Steve Harold says:

    A place steeped in history and a musical scene.

    Liverpool is simply marvellous. For anyone who is wanting to see many historic sites, St. George’s hall, the world museum and Walker art gallery are fantastic, the two cathedrals are absolutely gorgeous inside especially the Anglican, it’s huge haha.
    For those wanting a nice meal there is a lot of locally run restaurants along bold street which are intermingled with a lot of locally run shops. So if you are looking for some unique items to take home with you this is the place to explore. The city is now very heavily influenced by the students who come here to learn so there are many places that are targeted at young adults who are looking for a good place to chill out after university. There is also a lot of places which have live music on, one in particular is the cavern club which has been known for all the famous local bands that go to play there and quite a few famous international ones too. Obviously when in a new city the typical safety rules apply, keep your valuables out of site and if you are travelling alone don’t go don’t a blind alley at night without knowing what’s down there. All this being said I’ve been to Liverpool frequently and never had any problems. All the people in the shops and places I’ve visited have been quite jovial and very welcoming. I’ll finish by saying ten out of ten will totally visit again.!!!

  3. Good Value

    I love Liverpool.On my last visit I got a shag and a bag of chips for £10. I thought that was dear but to be fair it was a large helping of chips.

  4. B
    Barry Bagospuds says:

    Salty yum yum

    £10!? You were the one who was shafted.

  5. Friendly locals

    I totally agree. You can get cheaper chips in Huyton. The girls may be toothless and tattooed but are happy to play for a swig of white lightening. However many are diseased, and I don’t mean Covid.

  6. G
    Gill Swill says:

    Nasty dump

    As a lone woman I did not feel very safe in this disturbing city. Men kept staring at me and at least one hand went up my skirt in a crowded club. The men think they are so funny but I felt them sleazy and undereducated. Also I assume they don’t sell much soap in this place as personal hygiene is an issue. I did discover a safer place though , a very quaint living museum called Bootle.

  7. B
    Bethany says:

    Stay in London

    I agree with Gill. There have been loads of spiked drinks incidents recently. This place is definitely not safe for women. Most of the men are ghastly when awake and think nothing of behaving like barbarians in the expectation that is what women want. I was even offered a dead seagull stew called Scouse, absolutely disgusting.

  8. F
    Felicity says:

    Park life

    Bethany you are speaking nonsense, Scouse is normally made from roadkill pigeon, it is a local delicacy and you appear to be a cultural racist.I have had many a great night in Liverpool and even woke up in Stanley park once next to a hobo. He used to play football for the local team apparently and said his name was Emlyn.

  9. J
    Jap Spam says:

    Avoid

    In my opinion Liverpool is a total dump. They have overpriced parts called Albert Dock and Bootle. The rest is like a war zone where unhappily not enough locals succumbed to their final calling. It is certainly not safe as I was chased through the miserable streets by a mob of youths for asking one of them if his mother was still on the game. I meant did she still play football for Liverpool Ladies, but I think he must have been an Evortonian.

  10. Earache

    Not sure how safe this place is but my advice is to pack some ear defenders as the locals are just so whiny. Always complaining about something and nothing is their fault,ever. They are also under the illusion that they can sing ” Never walk alone” and it is endearing, sadly it is a washed up second rate pop song from a one hit wonder. My advice is if up north visit Newcastle, Manchester or Glasgow instead.

  11. G
    Grinder McCabe says:

    Dump

    Liverpool is where all the stupid Irish immigrants arrived and stayed as they could not read the bus timetables. It has been called the ar*ehole of England by many. The best bit is the road to Manchester. So avoid if you value your wallet, life and sanity.

    1. S
      Sarcasm says:

      That doesn’t sound racist or xenophobic. You seem nice.

  12. U
    Underwear woes says:

    Crafty down below

    Please be careful if visiting this place. I sneaked into Sefton Park to have sex with a lad I had met in the pub. When we finally finished his 2 mates appeared and wanted to have me also. I think they must have been watching. They became very insistent and I had to run off leaving my knickers behind. I got lost in the dark and found myself surrounded by a group of aging tramps, very scary.They said I could stay with them for safety. However they smelt bad and one wouldn’t stop singing something about walking with friends. Another hobo tried to cuddle up to me so I had to perform a sex act to escape.Please avoid or at least pack 2 pairs of pants.

  13. S
    Sergeant Smithers says:

    Keep away from river shanty towns

    Lots to see and do in Liverpool. Not sure how safe though. There is a gang of spivs from across the river in a place called the Wirral who swim over and go on the rob.

  14. Ferry woes

    Great place to visit for the weekend. Just beware of the river pirates operating on the Ferry to Birkenhead. You are likely to be robbed and even possibly kidnapped. Wear your oldest clothes and try to hire a whippet to help blend in with indigenous population. Lime Street station is normally full of “working girls” which is ironic as most Liverpudlians reject the notion of grafting.

  15. B
    Brook Sideclose says:

    Manky dump

    I agree, Lime Street is very dark and dangerous. Many a Liverpudlian has been conceived up the sidings next to platform 4. This place is a national disgrace. Any visiting girl tourist should dress in tarty hooker gear to avoid being singled out by the visiting pimps. Also start having a Scouse shower which means rubbing talcum powder into your body when you start to smell.

  16. Danger

    I also found Lime Street station and the nearby Albert Hotel to be full of undesirable tinkers and working girls of the night. Best to stay away after dark.

  17. E
    Ever Ton says:

    Own goal

    This is a shockingly violent city. Hardly anyone works so they are all ” on the rob.” I watched a gang of about 6 youths who were armed with machetes and pea shooters attack a bus full of senior citizens as they knew it was pension day. No one came to help the Liverpool fc players and many were in tears.

    1. B
      Benedict says:

      Rotten to the core

      They sing ” You’ll never walk alone ” which is true as if you try to you will soon have a Liverpudding walking with you picking your pocket.

    2. M
      M. Salah says:

      Wet pants

      This is nonsense. There were at least seven people who attacked the bus. It was very scary. Some were in their school uniform and two were dressed as scout leaders. I almost wet myself, not a safe city.

  18. J
    Joanne sniffsanonion says:

    Crying shame

    This is a truelly lovely city, much to do and see.Normally as safe as any other place, however watch out for the female motorcycle gang “Liver Slags.” I was chased by them whilst driving to the city centre, there must have beena dozen or so riding a selection of motorbikes, scooters and skateboards, very scary. When they caught up with me they insisted that I had ordered Butter Chicken through deliveroo and had to give them a tip. This was obviously a complete scam so I burst into tears. They then tried to sell me a handkerchief at inflated prices. Very scary people, do not use Deliveroo or you may suffer a similarupsetting experience.

  19. H
    Hercules says:

    Ok! So we all agree Liverpool is a grotty tip, let’s just move on then.

  20. Awful

    Liverpool is the best city in England. Best at shoplifting, stabbing,drug distribution to the North and top equal with Burnley for child exploitation and prostitution. My advice is to skip this hellhole and visit Sheffield instead.

  21. tinkerville

    Gads, I saw a lady take a dump in the gutter as her mates cheered her on. I saw people drinking booze that had been emptied from an old guys catheter bag. Lastly I watched in horror as a group of kids chased a dog with sticks and knives, finally cornered it and beat it to death. Not the best weekend away I have had!

  22. T
    T Daley says:

    No Waiting

    I went for a swim in the river Mersey as I was a bit under the influence and went skinny dipping. When I came out someone had stolen my clothes. I had to walk home with my private parts concealed within a traffic cone. Beware these people they are always on the rob.

  23. Beatles Cavern and Story Great - litter and drunks not

    There are some odd reviews on here – mostly by jokers. We visited at the weekend and have mixed feelings. Obviously the Beatles’ connection draws visitors and The Cavern and Beatles Story (which we visited) were fantastic. On the bad side, the city now as monstrosities of ‘modern’ buildings which are incongruous to the wonderful older buildings – which could do with a clean. The litter around the city was sad to see as I had the impression that Liverpudlians were proud of their home. The Friday night we came out of the Cavern was an eye opener. Yes the people were having a great time, but the noise, the drunkenness, the lit fags just thrown on the ground, the vomiting, the screaming young women scantily clad, with everything on show, lads who could hardly stand up due to drink……On the Saturday the city looked great with the Christmas decorations, but of course once these are taken down……………. Every local person we spoke to were great and friendly – and extremely helpful when we were lost a few times. The Council need to give the city a good clean up and the younger people need to have a good look at themselves and see just what an embarrassment they are.

  24. Had great times in Liverpool will go again

  25. Ignore the bad reviews

    Ignore all the bad reviews, they think they are funny but are in fact just idiotic and the majority of them are probably from Manchester so just making a mockery out of the place due to football rivalry!!

    (Manchester is a lot worse than Liverpool just check out the crime rates online) Liverpool is safe, I have lived here my whole life and have never seen the majority of the bad things people are talking about here.

    Yes, if you go around antagonizing people they will antagonize back but that’s your own fault you are just asking for it!

    Whenever I go on holiday and meet people from different countries and city’s they always comment how much they love Liverpool and Liverpool has the most friendly and welcoming/accommodating people they have ever come across.

    If you are into city life I would recommend visiting Liverpool! … Oh and by the way, scouse is made from lamb or beef and vegetables and is delicious!!

  26. P
    Paul Jones says:

    Liverpool, Greatest City

    Liverpool is the greatest City in the world; Ive been all over the world and always come back to Liverpool; Very friendly and helpful people; On match day visiting Anfield and the local pubs around the stadium is a must; Lots of top places to visit, many excellent and friendly pubs & restaurants;
    All in all a fabulous place to visit,

  27. Love it

    Amazing city! Ignore the fake reviews which were clearly written by insecure Mancs lol

  28. B
    Born & Bred Scouser says:

    A FACTUAL review of this city, from an ACTUAL scouser...

    Ignore most of these divvies. they’re all talkin absolute blag.

    first things first:
    I am a born and bred scouser/merseysider, have grown up all over the country (including st. helens, what an absolute horror show that was!!!) and can tell you that bootle and knowsley heights in huyton is where all the lemo lizards & ketwigs are at. more on that note – bootle, huyton. both are cheap as chips for a reason – cuz it’s where all the dealers are peddling gear. trust me, i’ve lived in bootle and also have a bezzie of 5/6 years who’s on the 9th floor of a tower block in huyton.

    FACTUAL REVIEW, FROM AN ACTUAL SCOUSER ORIGINALLY FROM CROCKY, LIVED ALL OVER THE COUNTRY (Of Merseyside) AN NOW BACK IN THE POOL…

    OVERALL – abar yellow. not amber, not fully green, not even lime green/ fluorescent yellow. so i’ll say a solid yellow with me explanations why below…

    TRANSPORT – LOW. We have our own mini underground network called the scouse tube (but is more commonly known by outsiders as merseyrail). it goes in a small loop of abar 4 stations within the city centre (moorfields – business district, james st. – for pier head, central – slap bang in middle of town, lime street lower level – for the libraries and most of the museums, plus a fifth additional station over the water) and outside of those it goes onto normal ground to take you to the airport on one end, a seaside resort called souey on the other end, and then over the water to get to a nearby (but way more eye-wateringly expensive) city called chester where all the trains are every 15 minutes. Buses are a-plenty and if you have the gift of youth, you can blag an all day bus ticket for £2.20 if you pretend to be 18. Black Cabs will rip you off on weekends and evenings. Always book a delta if back off home. Deltas are increasingly rare beyond the perimeters of Aiggy Lark Lane/Wavo/The Swan/Crosby so if off to depths of South Lpool (except airport) then I recommend you book Village or Alpha. Ferry is okay, but Woodside terminal over the water is currently getting done up as I write this review (Nov ’23)

    PICKPOCKETING – you’ll only be pickpocketed if you deliberately out yourself by acting as touristy as possible. keep ya head down and don’t talk to locals unless necessary, especially true of a late evening or weekend late at night

    NATURAL DISASTER – no chance of the river mersey floodin absolutely soon, even if we do get twatted by the glorious scouse rain sometimes. light flooding in certain neighborhoods such as aiggy (aigburth), wavo (wavertree), the fazak attack (fazakerley) or the gat attack (Gateacre)

    MUGGING – very rarely happens. never seen anyone get mugged in town, but deffo beware of kenny (kensington), conny square (concert sq.), the gay villy (stanley st/victoria street/eberle street LGBTQIA+ quarter). you are way more likely to get mugged off (by both a minute number of scummy drunk an scufflin’ scousers AND the bar prices) in cavern quarter (matthew st, home of the cavern club.)
    also beware of knife crime particularly around gay villy again. it’s okay to be a gay or butch lesbo there, but apparently not ok to be an amab trans woman or afab PRE-T trans man (post T/post-op trans men are relatively saf there) or an afab androgynous non binary as there have been a big increase in stabbings outside a JSM-owned nightclub called Heaven (on Victoria st.) JSM are also notorious for not allowing single admittance into their nightclubs all over town (including the krazyhouse, yankees sports bar, etc.) and their security practices are very shoddy as they hire dodgy bouncers. who are known to be sometimes transphobic.

    SCAM – very unlikely, unless you inadvertently scam yourself with the bar prices at cavern quarter, or with the product prices at the myriad of “phone”/”vape”/”off-license” type shops that have popped up recently. if you need a replacement phone cable or power brick, go to home and bargain (OR bargains and more, both are reputable scouse discount retail firms) and you’ll find what you need there for under half the price of the “phone” shops.

    TERRORISM – before the women’s hozzy attempted bombing: nada – safe as the 82 bus. After the women’s hozzy attempted bombing: can deffo not be ruled out again, but still mostly unlikely – about as dodgy as the 86 bus.

    SOLO BIRDS – solo travellers who are assigned female at birth or present female/femme will not have any issue in the daytime. in the evening, they may be subject to some catcalls, attempted sexual assaults (mostly minor ones such as occasional arse slaps and/or tit grabs) and even so far as spiking incidents (uncommon), but I can assure you that it’s 99% always the outsider uni students who do this and not us scousers.

    1. including st. helens, what an absolute horror show that was!!!)
      You sound like a card board scouse who moved to the new towns in the 70’s and never moved on

Liverpool Rated 2.6 / 5 based on 35 user reviews.

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