HOW SAFE IS PUERTO VALLARTA?
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Everyone by now has heard the so-called "drug war" that has been taking place in Mexico for several years now. While the vast majority of this violence has happened in a narrow swath right along the US-Mexico border, affecting only a tiny fraction of Mexico, it has been widely reported that "Mexico is dangerous" by cable news and the blogosphere. Every crime, big or small, throughout the world's 14th largest and 11th most populated country is propagated as a reason to fear Mexico, regardless of how it affects you as a tourist. |
Is Puerto Vallarta Safe? |
VIOLENT
CRIMES IN PUERTO VALLARTA (2010) |
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Sources: 1 National Survey on Insecurity 2 Jalisco Quarterly Report |
Country |
Homicide Rate (per 100,000) |
Murders (2010) |
Population (2010) |
Honduras | 72.8 | 6,236 | 7,466,000 |
El Salvador | 65.9 | 4,004 | 6,071,774 |
U.S. Virgin Islands | 60.0 | 66 | 109,750 |
Jamaica | 51.3 | 1,430 | 2,785,800 |
Venezuela | 48.0 | 17,600 2 | 29,105,632 |
Guatemala | 44.0 | 5,960 | 13,550,440 |
Belize | 42.2 | 132 | 312,698 |
St. Kitts & Nevis | 40.1 | 20 | 49,898 |
Trinidad & Tobago | 35.8 | 472 | 1,317,714 |
Columbia | 34.5 | 15,238 | 44,205,293 |
The Bahamas | 27.1 | 96 | 353,658 |
Puerto Rico | 26.4 | 983 | 3,725,789 |
St. Lucia | 26.4 | 44 | 166,526 |
Brazil | 25.3 | N/A 3 | 190,755,799 |
St. Vincent & Grenadines | 23.0 | 24 | 104,217 |
Panama | 21.7 | 738 | 3,405,813 |
Dominican Republic | 20.9 | 2,054 | 9,823,821 |
Dominica | 19.2 | 15 | 72,813 |
Guyana | 18.5 | 139 | 752,940 |
Ecuador | 18.1 | N/A 3 | 14,306,876 |
Mexico | 17.9 | 20,127 | 112,337,000 |
Nicaragua | 12.9 | 766 | 5,955,928 |
Paraguay | 11.9 | 741 | 6,230,000 |
Mexico (Adjusted)1 | 11.7 | 11,837 | 101,141,072 |
Bolivia | 11.4 | 1130 4 | 9,947,418 |
Barbados | 10.9 | 31 | 285,653 |
Costa Rica | 10.7 | 486 | 4,516,220 |
Haiti | 10.6 | 878 | 8,249,574 |
Grenada | 9.3 | 10 | 107,818 |
Cayman Islands | 9.1 | 7 | 54,878 |
Uruguay | 8.8 | 309 | 3,510,386 |
Antigua & Barbuda | 8.1 | 6 | 105,632 |
British Virgin Islands | 7.9 | 2 | 25,383 |
Suriname | 4.5 | 22 | 486,616 |
Argentina | 3.4 | 1360 4 | 40,091,359 |
Peru | 3.2 | N/A 3 | 29,496,000 |
Chile | 2.9 | 501 | 17,094,270 |
1 Figure
does not include the
primary "drug war"
states of Chihuahua,
Durango, Guerrero
and Sinaloa. 2 Figure has been quoted in various publications, but does not jive with officially quoted murder rate. 3 Government only released the homicide rate, and not the official murder tally. 4 Figure is from 2009. No current 2010 tally was found during the research phase. Population statistics are obtained either from the 2010 Census or from the CIA Estimates for July 2010. |
THE HEADLINES YOU DON'T HEAR ABOUT
6/20/11 -
Study: Puerto Vallarta is One of the
Safest Tourist Destinations
11/8/10 -
ABC News: Seven Safer Places to Visit
in Mexico
7/01/10 -
AARP: Puerto Vallarta One of the Best
Places to Retire Abroad
5/22/09 -
US News & World Report: World's Best
Places to Visit
4/15/09 -
LA Times: Mexico's Tourist Zones Much
Safer Than Many in US
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These are the facts as they stand right now regarding safety in Puerto Vallarta. Never depend on the ratings-based cable news channels or bloggers who don't live anywhere near Puerto Vallarta for your information, it is the least reliable source of verifiable information. Other than the current local information you see above, check with your travel agent, the local consulate for your country serving Puerto Vallarta, or find current reports from locals and current visitors on various internet forums for Puerto Vallarta.
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