IS it safe to go to Glasgow?
It’s a question that has been asked about Scotland’s largest city from the days of razor gangs through to the present.
But with a recent flare up of far-right extremist rallies, internet forums for people living in the city are now regularly asked whether it is safe for people to go to Glasgow, either for weekend breaks or to travel to one of its universities.
Some recent samples from the local Reddit page (r/Glasgow) paint the picture.
One hijab-wearing Muslim woman asked Glaswegians last week: “I'm moving to Glasgow this autumn for a masters at Glasgow University, staying in the Merchant City area.
“I chose Glasgow partly because it's known as a safe city, but I've seen recent news about anti-immigration protests and an attack on a Muslim woman in the city centre, and I won't lie, it's shaken me a bit.
“I'd really appreciate honest, grounded input from people who actually live there rather than viral clips or comment sections: Is this recent unrest something that's escalating, or more of a periodic flare-up tied to specific events/dates?”
Two months ago, another user asked: “Hate to have to make this post but due to recent events I'm a bit concerned. Got a trip coming up in the coming weeks to Glasgow with my partner.
“I'm brown skinned from England. Basically just want to know if it's still safe to come up?”
In the early 2000s, Glasgow had a fearsome reputation for violence. This was usually related to the gangs who helped contribute to the grim statistics which bestowed upon the city the dubious honour of being Europe’s “murder capital”.
Now, it appears more people are concerned about the prospect of racist violence if they visit the city as a member of an ethnic minority group.
What do the statistics say?
In terms of violent crime, the consensus is that the city is far safer than it has been in the recent past.
Non-sexual crimes of violence is the official term for inter-personal violent crime and covers an array of offences ranging from common assault – itself a broad category, ranging from raising a fist or spitting to causing minor injury – to serious assault, domestic abuse, and murder.
Numbers in this category throughout Scotland are at a higher level than when records began in 1971 but are lower than their all time high in 2006-2007, at 136 per 10,000 people in the most recent statistics.
Of the most interest to the people asking whether Glasgow is safe for ethnic minorities are hate crime statistics.
According to the most recent figures, such crimes are trending downwards, falling 9% from 1929 offences in 2024-25 to 1753 offences in the most recent period.
That is against the backdrop of a more general downward trend of a 12% drop from 2016-17 to the year ending 2026.
Is Glasgow safe for people from ethnic minority groups?
Despite scaremongering reports, Glasgow is a relatively safe place. Only 13.2% of its population have been the victims of crime, according to a 2024 report by the city’s health and social care partnership.
A spokesperson for the SNP Glasgow council group told The National: “We are not shying away from the difficulties that the city centre is currently facing, but Glasgow is a far cry from its reputation of days gone by. Of course we continue to take all these issues seriously, and work closely with Police Scotland to respond.
“The people Reform are standing shoulder to shoulder with may pretend to be defenders of women but their Nazi salutes and domestic abuse records say differently.
“The idea that the solutions to Glasgow's issues are to be found in groups like Patriotic Alternative, the Homeland Party or the Scottish Crusade, and the paramilitary cosplayers and racists that make up their ranks goes against everything this city has stood for it is 851-year history.”
