Safest cities in the Netherlands (2025)

Short answer: relative to population, the largest cities don't automatically have the most crime. Below are the Dutch cities (from 100,000 residents) ranked by registered crimes per 1,000 residents in 2025 — from few to many. Per 1,000 is what makes cities truly comparable: a large absolute number in a big city is often more normal than it looks.

1. 1Westland28.9116,945 res.
2. 2Alphen aan den Rijn33.6115,795 res.
3. 3Ede35.3124,230 res.
4. 4Emmen36.9107,000 res.
5. 5Almere39.8220,000 res.
6. 6Zoetermeer43.2129,880 res.
7. 7Haarlemmermeer43.4165,270 res.
8. 8Deventer44.0102,000 res.
9. 9Amersfoort44.2160,000 res.
10. 10Apeldoorn44.4165,000 res.
11. 11Zaanstad46.0160,000 res.
12. 12Alkmaar51.4110,000 res.
13. 13Dordrecht52.0120,000 res.
14. 14Delft53.2105,000 res.
15. 15Leeuwarden54.0125,000 res.
16. 16Haarlem55.1165,000 res.
17. 17Zwolle55.5135,000 res.
18. 18's-Hertogenbosch55.9155,000 res.
19. 19Leiden56.4125,000 res.
20. 20Tilburg57.6225,000 res.
21. 21Venlo58.1102,000 res.
22. 22Maastricht59.4120,000 res.
23. 23Breda59.8185,000 res.
24. 24Groningen60.6240,000 res.
25. 25Nijmegen62.8180,000 res.

How to read this list

It's about registered crimes (Police, 2025): what's reported and recorded, not necessarily everything that happens. The total also says little without the type of offence: a city with lots of bicycle theft stands differently from one with relatively much burglary or violence. And an average over a whole city hides big differences per neighbourhood.

Safety differs mostly per neighbourhood

Within one city the figures vary widely. A quiet residential area in a 'less safe' city can be safer than a busy centre in a 'safe' city. So a check at neighbourhood or address level is far more informative than a city average.