Marseille has a postcard perfect appearance, but has earned a reputation for being one of Europe’s most crime riddled cities. There were at least 45 murders linked to the illegal drugs trade in 2023 and three deaths of innocent civilians caught up in the crossfire of gang violence.
Numbeo, a crowd sourced online database of quality of life data, puts Marseille second in its list of European cities crime index with a score of 65.7. The French city is behind top placed Bradford (67) and above Coventry (64.9), Birmingham (63.8) and Naples (62.6), according to Numbeo.
Marseille is the second largest city in France by population with 794,811 people, World Population Review figures show. Paris has 2,138,551, making it the most populous city in the country by far.
The port city also has a significant number of poor people, with more than 200,000 living on less than £850 (1,000 euros) per month. Five neighbourhoods in the north of the city have poverty rates above 40 percent, according to thelocal.fr.
In a bid to make its streets safer, the city has boosted police officer numbers and is renovating scores of schools.
French president Emmanuel Macron unveiled a £1.28billion (1.5bn euros) plan to tackle crime in Marseille, though gang violence has been stubbornly high.
But crime is largely confined to certain parts of the city. Regional police chief Frederique Camilleri told AFP after a spate of deaths that the Paternelle estate in northern Marseille was linked to all killings over a certain period.
Tourists have little to worry about in relation to violent crime, according to thelocal.fr. Petty crime, including pickpocketing, can be an issue, as it is in major cities such as Paris and Lyon.
A hub for drug trafficking, Marseille’s ranking in Numbeo’s crime index has been challenged, with the data reportedly focused only on how anonymous internet users feel when it comes to their security.
Waytostay.com recommends visitors stick to safer places such as La Panier and La Corniche, to avoid walking alone at night and to stay in well lit tourist areas.
Despite its reputation, tourist still flock to the city, which sees 300 days of sun per year. Five million tourists visited Marseille in 2019, according to the city’s tourist office.
Must-see areas include Le Panier, the Abbey of Saint-Victor, Notre-Dame de la Garde, Le Corbusier’s Cite Radieuse and Calanques National Park.
Thelocal.fr says of the city: “Marseille also has a lively nightlife, a thriving restaurant scene and a generally relaxed and fun vibe that makes it a pleasure to visit.”
Marseille is also set to host the sailing events for the Paris Olympics this summer.
