More than 63% of Mexicans living in urban areas said they felt unsafe in their cities at the end of 2025, according to a quarterly government survey that tracks public perception across the country’s 91 largest metropolitan areas.=
The National Urban Public Security Survey, released Jan. 23 by Mexico’s statistics agency INEGI, found women reported feeling significantly more insecure than men. Nearly 70% of women said living in their city felt unsafe, compared to 57% of men.
The numbers mark a slight increase from September 2025, when 63% reported feeling unsafe, and represent a statistically significant jump from December 2024’s 61.7%.
Five cities topped the list for perceived insecurity. Uruapan in Michoacán led with nearly 89% of residents feeling unsafe, followed closely by Culiacán Rosales in Sinaloa at 88%. Ciudad Obregón in Sonora, Ecatepec de Morelos in México state, and Irapuato in Guanajuato all reported insecurity levels at or above 87%.
Both Uruapan and Culiacán have faced escalating cartel violence in recent months. Culiacán has been ground zero for an internal war within the Sinaloa Cartel since September 2024, with more than 1,000 people killed and thousands disappeared. In Uruapan, the November 2025 assassination of Mayor Carlos Manzo, who had launched an aggressive campaign against organized crime, sparked nationwide protests.
At the other end of the spectrum, wealthy San Pedro Garza García in Nuevo León recorded the lowest insecurity perception at less than 9%, followed by Benito Juárez in Quintana Roo at 14.8% and Piedras Negras in Coahuila at 17.3%.
The survey also measured where people feel most vulnerable. More than 72% said they felt unsafe using ATMs on public streets, while nearly 65% reported feeling insecure both on public streets and on public transportation. About 59% said highways felt dangerous.
Looking ahead, residents showed mixed expectations. Nearly 34% of respondents said crime and insecurity would stay equally bad over the next year, while 25.6% predicted conditions would worsen. On a more optimistic note, 23% believed things would improve.
The survey found alcohol consumption in the streets topped the list of observed criminal or antisocial behavior at nearly 60%, followed by robberies and assaults at 48%. Drug dealing or consumption came in third at 40%, with vandalism and frequent gunfire rounding out the top five concerns.
During the final quarter of 2025, more than 36% of adult residents experienced some type of direct conflict with family members, neighbors, coworkers, business staff, or government authorities. Fear of crime prompted 42.5% of residents to stop carrying valuables like jewelry, cash, or credit cards, while 38% changed habits about letting children go outside unaccompanied.
When it came to law enforcement, the Mexican military branches received the highest marks. Eighty-three percent rated the Navy as very or somewhat effective, followed by the Air Force at 81.4% and the Army at nearly 80%. In contrast, municipal police earned approval from just 46% of respondents.
The survey, conducted quarterly since 2013, asks urban residents about their experiences with crime and perceptions of safety. While actual crime statistics have shown some recent declines in homicide rates under President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration, the perception data suggests many residents haven’t yet felt those improvements in their daily lives.
Regional variations remain stark. States like Yucatán continue ranking among Mexico’s safest, with homicide rates more than 10 times lower than the national average. The Yucatán state has held the top spot in the Mexico Peace Index for eight consecutive years, boasting a 2025 homicide rate of just 2.2 per 100,000 people compared to the national rate of nearly 25.
KEY FINDINGS FROM THE ENSU SURVEY
• 63.8% of urban residents felt unsafe in their cities in December 2025
• Women reported 12 percentage points higher insecurity than men (69.4% vs. 57.1%)
• Uruapan, Culiacán, and Ciudad Obregón topped insecurity perception above 88%
• 72.3% felt unsafe at street ATMs, the most vulnerable location
• 32.3% of households had at least one member victimized by robbery, extortion, or fraud during the second half of 2025
• 45.4% of people who contacted security authorities reported experiencing at least one act of corruption
• 86.4% identified potholes as their city’s biggest problem, ahead of water supply issues (63.9%) and traffic (61.2%)
Sources: INEGI National Urban Public Security Survey (ENSU), Human Rights Watch, Institute for Economics and Peace Mexico Peace Index 2025, InSight Crime