Mérida, Yucatán, previously considered one of the most peaceful and safe cities in Mexico, dropped from the ranking of the 10 safest cities in the country this Tuesday, April 22, dropping to 12th, according to the National Survey of Urban Public Security (ENSU) of the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI).
The fact that several criminal leaders from various Mexican drug cartels have recently hidden in the capital of Yucatán may go some way to explaining the change in residents’ perception of insecurity in Mérida.
Mérida has also been identified as a center of operations for federal crimes such as human trafficking in the form of forced prostitution, and a center of operations for human trafficking.
Just four months ago, in December 2024, authorities arrested numerous members of criminal cells, one very active in Tabasco and another operating in Quintana Roo.
Even with this context of the last year, Mérida went from 31.5% in the last quarter of 2024 (October-December), to 39.2% at the end of March (first quarter) of 2025 in the Perception of public insecurity, by urban area (city) of interest published by Inegi this April 22, so the city is ranked 12th among 91 cities where the sample was taken.
Thus, although Mérida dropped out of the top 10 safe cities because its residents feel there is more danger than before, the truth is that the capital is still among the safest cities globally, due to its low crime rate and peaceful atmosphere.
Therefore, more than 70% of Mérida residents feel safe living in their city, a notably high percentage compared to other locations in the country.
Nationally, the most unsafe cities, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), are:
Villahermosa, Tabasco, remained the city with the worst perception of insecurity, with 90.6% of those surveyed expressing fear of living there.
Culiacán Rosales, Sinaloa, with 89.7%.
Fresnillo, Zacatecas, with 89.5%.
Uruapan, Michoacán, with 88.7%.
Irapuato, Guanajuato, with 88.4%.
Chimalhuacán, State of Mexico, with 86.1%.
In contrast, the cities with the lowest perception of insecurity—that is, where Mexicans report feeling safest and where Mérida no longer appears because its residents feel more insecure than before—are:
San Pedro Garza García, Nuevo León, ranked first, where only 10.4% of the population reported insecurity.
The Benito Juárez municipality of Mexico City, with 20.4%.
Piedras Negras, Coahuila, with 20.5%.
Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, with 23%.
Saltillo, Coahuila, with 24.5%.
Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, with 24.7%.
Los Mochis, Sinaloa, 25.8%.
La Paz, Baja California Sur, 27.8%.
San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León, 28.4%.
Tampico, Tamaulipas, 29.7%.
TYT Newsroom
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