Here are the least safe cities for women in India, as per a new survey

Around 40 per cent of women in India’s cities feel “not so safe” or “unsafe”, according to the National Annual Report & Index on Women’s Safety (NARI 2025), launched by Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar, Chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW).

The report surveyed 12,770 women across 31 cities, providing a data-driven assessment of women’s safety.

The report identifies Kohima, Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Aizawl, Gangtok, Itanagar, and Mumbai as the safest cities for women, while Ranchi, Srinagar, Kolkata, Delhi, Faridabad, Patna, and Jaipur rank as the least safe.

It notes that seven per cent of women reported harassment in 2024, which is significantly higher compared to what is reported in NCRB-2022 crime statistics.

Safety concerns rise at night due to poor lighting and limited security, with 33 per cent of the women reporting incidents and 16 per cent seeing action taken. Additionally, 53 per cent of the women were unaware of workplace POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) policies.

“The launch of NARI 2025 is a step forward in understanding the safety concerns of women in our cities,” said Rahatkar.

“At the National Commission for Women, our priority is to ensure that every woman feels safe at home, at work, in public places and online. This report brings the real voices of women and will help us work with policymakers and institutions to create safer and more supportive spaces for women across India," she added.