For years, we’ve been sold a simple story about safety.

The U.S. is “developed.”
Europe is “civilized.”
Latin America is “dangerous.”

But when you stop listening to headlines and start looking at actual data, that story begins to fall apart — fast.

When I recently compared Colombia and Mexico, the homicide numbers were so extreme they forced me to zoom out. What started as a two-country comparison turned into a much bigger realization: the Americas as a whole dominate global violence statistics, and the places we assume are unsafe aren’t always the ones that actually are.

So let’s talk about what the numbers really say — and why they matter if you’re thinking about traveling, retiring, or living abroad in 2026.

When you rank cities worldwide by homicide rate, something uncomfortable becomes clear:

More than 80% of the world’s most violent cities are in the Western Hemisphere.

Not in war zones.
Not in failed states.
In everyday cities across North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.

Mexico alone accounts for 16 cities in the global top 50.
Brazil follows closely behind.
And the United States — yes, the U.S. — has multiple cities ranking alongside Latin America’s most dangerous.

That’s not a narrative problem.
That’s a math problem.

Here’s where things get interesting.

Colombia, the country Americans still associate with 1990s headlines, barely registers anymore. Out of 225 cities worldwide, Colombia accounts for just a handful — and none come close to Mexico’s worst offenders.

Cities expats actually live in — Bogotá, Medellín, Cartagena, Bucaramanga, Barranquilla — don’t even make the list.

Colombia’s homicide rate has dropped by more than 80% since the 1990s. The violence that once defined it has largely receded, replaced by something much more boring: normal life.

And yet, perception hasn’t caught up.

That gap between reputation and reality is one of the most important things expats need to understand — because fear lingers long after danger disappears.

One of the biggest mistakes people make is assuming violence works the same way everywhere. It doesn’t.

In much of Latin America, violence is targeted. It’s tied to organized crime, territorial disputes, and networks you’re unlikely to encounter if you live a normal, law-abiding life.

In the United States, violence is often random.

Mass shootings.
School shootings.
Workplace attacks.
Public spaces, wrong place, wrong time.

That randomness is what makes it psychologically terrifying — and it’s a uniquely American pattern among developed countries.

The presence of guns alone doesn’t explain it. Countries like Switzerland have extremely high gun ownership with almost nonexistent gun violence. The difference isn’t hardware — it’s culture, inequality, social trust, and institutional stability.

The data points to the same structural issues over and over:

This isn’t about morality. It’s about incentives. When systems fail, violence becomes a business model.

Homicide data tells us where people are dying — not necessarily where you’ll feel unsafe.

Many cities with high homicide rates feel calm, social, and livable at street level. Meanwhile, cities with “safe” reputations can feel tense, isolated, and unpredictable.

That’s why blanket questions like “Is Latin America dangerous?” are meaningless.

The real question is:
Which city? Which neighborhood? Which lifestyle?

Mexico has cities you should avoid — and others filled with retirees and families.
Brazil has dangerous metros — and some of the safest urban areas in the region.
Colombia has problems — but not the ones it’s still blamed for.

If you’re thinking about moving abroad, this data shouldn’t scare you — it should empower you.

Because safety isn’t about borders.
It’s about choice.

The difference between safe and unsafe in the Americas is often just a few hours of geography — and a lot of outdated assumptions.

When you understand the numbers and the context, fear loses its grip. And once fear fades, better decisions become possible.

The Americas are statistically the most violent region on Earth — but they’re also the most uneven.

Some countries are losing ground.
Some are holding steady.
And some, like Colombia, are quietly rewriting their story while the world isn’t looking.

Perception lags reality.
Data doesn’t.

And if you’re building a life abroad, truth beats headlines every time.