NARI Report 2025: Kohima, Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar among safest cities for women; Delhi, Jaipur, Patna rank lowest

Kohima & Mumbai Safest for Women, Delhi & Jaipur Among Riskiest: NARI Index 2025

Kohima, Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Aizawl, Gangtok, Itanagar and Mumbai have been ranked as India’s safest cities for women, while Patna, Jaipur, Faridabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Srinagar and Ranchi figured at the bottom of the list, according to the National Annual Report & Index on Women’s Safety (NARI) 2025.

Released on Thursday, August 28, 2025, the nationwide index surveyed 12,770 women across 31 cities and pegged the national safety score at 65 per cent, classifying cities as “much above,” “above,” “below” or “much below” the benchmark.

Strong Gender Equity vs Weak Infrastructure

Cities topping the list—such as Kohima, Aizawl, and Visakhapatnam—were linked with stronger gender equity, better policing, civic participation, and women-friendly infrastructure. In contrast, cities like Patna and Jaipur fared poorly, dragged down by weak institutional responsiveness, patriarchal attitudes, and gaps in urban infrastructure.

The report stated: “Kohima, Vishakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Aizawl, Gangtok, Itanagar, Mumbai lead national safety rankings, often correlating with higher gender equity, infrastructure, policing, or civic participation while Ranchi, Srinagar, Kolkata, Delhi, Faridabad, Patna, and Jaipur scored lowest, correlating with poorer infrastructure, patriarchal norms, or weaker institutional responsiveness.”

Safety Perceptions: A Mixed Picture

• 6 in 10 women said they feel safe in their city, but 40 percent still considered themselves “not so safe” or “unsafe.”
• Safety perceptions dropped sharply at night, particularly in public transport and recreational spaces.
• Educational institutions were rated safest (86 percent during the day), but safety perceptions fall sharply at night or off-campus.

Trust in authorities, however, remains low—only one in four women believed complaints would be handled effectively.

NARI Report 2025: List of safest cities for women in India

1. Kohima
2. Visakhapatnam
3. Bhubaneswar
4. Aizawl
5. Gangtok
6. Itanagar
7. Mumbai

The survey noted that 7 percent of women experienced harassment in public spaces in 2024, with incidents doubling to 14 per cent among women under 24.

• Neighbourhoods (38 percent) and public transport (29 percent) emerged as the most cited hotspots.
• Despite this, only one in three victims reported their experiences, leaving most incidents outside official NCRB data.

NARI Report 2025: Least safest cities for women in India

1. Ranchi
2. Srinagar
3. Kolkata
4. Delhi
5. Faridabad
6. Patna
7. Jaipur

Launching the report, National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar said safety cannot be seen merely as a law-and-order issue but as one that affects "every aspect of a woman's life whether it is her education, health, work opportunities and freedom of movement".

She added that when women feel unsafe, "they limit themselves, and women limiting themselves is not only for their own development, but also for the development of the country".

Rahatkar highlighted four dimensions of women’s security—physical, psychological, financial and digital—urging stronger protections against cybercrime and misuse of personal data.

She praised the rising number of women police officers and female drivers in public transport as confidence-building measures, alongside helplines, CCTV coverage in smart cities, and enhanced safety networks at transport hubs.

But she also reminded society of its role: “We often blame the system, but we must also ask what we have done. Whether it is using helplines, supporting awareness drives, or simply keeping public toilets clean, society's role is equally important.”

Noting that women's safety is not just about protection from harassment and violence, Rahatkar said it is also about ensuring equal opportunities, equal wages and a dignified environment at work.

About the NARI Index

The NARI Index has been jointly conceived by Pvalue Analytics, The NorthCap University, and Jindal Global Law School, and is published by the Group of Intellectuals and Academicians (GIA).

By combining crime data with perception-based surveys, the index aims to offer a fuller picture of women’s safety across Indian cities—revealing not just statistics, but the day-to-day realities of women navigating urban life.

(With inputs from PTI)