Is Portugal a safe place to live?
Is living in Portugal safe? According to research and the Global Peace Index, Portugal is actually one of the safest countries in the world. And why is Portugal so safe? This is thanks to low crime rates and a stable political scene, amongst other things. With this in mind, where is the best area to live in Portugal? We have all the details, in this report about the safest places to live in Portugal.
Bragança and Guarda are the two safest districts in Portugal, according to the Securitas Direct Security Survey, which assesses the safest areas of Portugal, taking into account the number of incidents (actual alarm and intrusion triggers) per district recorded by the company's Alarm Receiving Centre, which manages more than 1 million devices in Portugal and remains active 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Crime rate in Portugal
According to the same company, from January to July 2022, the majority of robberies and attempted robberies in businesses occurred between 2 and 4 in the morning. In homes and private properties, the period of least security is between 9am and 11am.
According to the Survey, the districts of Bragança and Guarda are the safest, both with an incidence rate of 0.06%, followed by Castelo Branco (0.08%) and Vila Real (0.09%). Completing the Top 5 is Viseu (0.10%).
Businesses most affected by crime in Portugal
At national level, small businesses - shops and restaurants - recorded around 6 in every 10 attempts (56%) of theft or intrusion, while companies recorded 29% of incidents and industry only 15%. In the private sector, houses and villas represent the majority of crimes, with around nine in every 10 cases taking place in this type of property (86.3%). Flats and apartments represent only 13.4%.
"Activating electronic elements that are, above all, deterrents, such as a home alarm or a video surveillance system connected to an alarm-receiving centre are the best recommendation to avoid scare situations," says Luís Quintino, Director of Operations at Securitas Direct in Portugal.