East Mexico City Districts Lead in Perceived Insecurity: INEGI Report
Mexico City, Mexico – The eastern districts of Mexico City, specifically Iztapalapa, Tláhuac, and Xochimilco, have been identified as the areas with the highest perception of insecurity among their residents during the first quarter of 2026. This data comes from the latest National Survey of Urban Public Safety (ENSU) conducted by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI).
These three districts ranked 27th, 32nd, and 37th, respectively, out of 91 urban areas surveyed nationwide. Despite these high rankings, two of these districts showed a slight decrease in the perception of insecurity compared to the first quarter of 2025. Iztapalapa’s perception of insecurity dropped from 73.8 percent to 71 percent, Tláhuac from 71.9 percent to 69.9 percent, and Xochimilco also saw a decline from 69.4 percent to 66.9 percent, reflecting an improvement in residents’ quality of life perception.
Varying Trends Across Mexico City Districts
The remaining districts of Mexico City generally ranked lower in terms of perceived insecurity, ranging from 42nd to 89th place nationally. However, some districts did experience an increase in insecurity perception, including Iztacalco, Álvaro Obregón, Tlalpan, Venustiano Carranza, Milpa Alta, and Coyoacán.
In contrast, districts like Gustavo A. Madero, Azcapotzalco, Cuauhtémoc, Cuajimalpa, Miguel Hidalgo, and Benito Juárez reported a slight decrease in insecurity. Benito Juárez, in particular, stands out as the safest district in the entire city, with its insecurity perception falling from 20.4 percent last year to 16.4 percent in 2026, placing it 89th in the national ranking.
Mayor Luis Mendoza of Benito Juárez expressed his satisfaction with the results on social media, stating, “According to the INEGI ENSU survey, Benito Juárez remains, once again, the safest district in Mexico City and the Megalopolis. This result reflects our ongoing commitment to strengthening our ‘Blindar BJ 360’ strategy. We will not slow down. We will continue to work so that families live with greater peace and security.”
Mexico City Districts Below National Insecurity Levels
It is important to note that Mexico City’s districts generally exhibit lower levels of perceived insecurity compared to other major cities in Mexico. For instance, Irapuato in Guanajuato, Guadalajara in Jalisco, and Ecatepec in the State of Mexico hold the first, second, and third highest national rankings for insecurity perception, respectively.
Public Spaces and Behavioral Changes Due to Insecurity
The survey also highlighted the public spaces where residents feel most vulnerable. ATMs ranked highest, with over 70 percent of respondents expressing a sense of insecurity. This was followed by community streets, public transport, highways, banks, markets, parks, shopping centers, workplaces, homes, and schools.
The ENSU report further revealed that the feeling of insecurity has led to significant behavioral changes among residents. Approximately 43.7 percent of those surveyed reported no longer carrying valuables such as jewelry, money, or credit cards, fearing they might become victims of crime. Additionally, 39.2 percent have stopped allowing minors to go out alone, and 39.1 percent avoid walking on streets near their homes at night. The survey indicated that women are disproportionately affected by this sense of insecurity.
Social Media as a Primary Source of Insecurity Information
INEGI’s findings also shed light on how citizens obtain information regarding insecurity in their neighborhoods and cities. Facebook emerged as the primary source, with just over 61 percent of respondents relying on the social media platform. Television news programs were the second most common source, followed by conversations and discussions with neighbors.
