DAVAO City has strengthened its position as one of the Philippines’ most secure urban centers after ranking second safest in the country for April 2026, based on the latest World Travel Index report, which evaluates cities worldwide using travel and safety-related indicators.
The city recorded a safety score of 79.22, placing it 1,215th globally, according to the same assessment.
The ranking highlights continued public perception of safety in Davao City, which remains a key reference point for domestic and international travelers seeking secure destinations in the Philippines.
The World Travel Index is a global travel data platform that compiles and publishes comparative rankings of cities and countries based on multiple indicators relevant to tourism and relocation decisions. These typically include crime levels, personal safety, transportation reliability, traffic conditions, and general traveler security perceptions.
While it is not a government agency, its reports are widely used as reference points by travelers, researchers, and tourism analysts to gauge relative safety conditions across destinations.
In the April 2026 Philippine city rankings, Dumaguete City topped the list with a score of 82.28. Davao City followed in second place, while other cities included Balanga (76.71), Bulacan (75.40), Baguio (75.33), Puerto Princesa (74.84), Lucena (74.78), Naga (73.58), Makati City (71.07), and Las Piñas (70.03).
Local officials and observers often cite Davao City’s consistent inclusion in such rankings as reflective of long-term investments in urban security systems, traffic management improvements, and community-based safety programs, although the index itself primarily measures perceived safety and travel-related risk indicators rather than official crime statistics.
Complementing this result, global data analytics platform Numbeo has also previously recognized Davao City in its regional safety assessments. In its 2024–2025 Safety Index, Numbeo placed the city third safest in Southeast Asia, with a score of around 71.5, trailing only Singapore and Chiang Mai.
Numbeo’s rankings are based on crowdsourced user surveys where residents and visitors report their perceptions of crime levels, safety while walking alone, and confidence in law enforcement. While widely cited, these figures are understood to reflect public perception rather than verified official crime data.
In a separate environmental assessment, Numbeo also listed Davao City as the second cleanest city in Southeast Asia in mid-2025, based on indicators such as air quality, waste management efficiency, and pollution perception.
Together, these findings contribute to Davao City’s sustained image as a safe, clean, and livable urban center in the Philippines. Despite differences in methodology across international indices, its repeated appearance in safety and livability rankings underscores continued public confidence in the city as a secure destination for residents, tourists, and investors alike. DEF
