Chetumal and Cancún Diverge Sharply on Public Safety Perceptions, INEGI Survey Shows

Chetumal, Quintana Roo — Chetumal and Cancún sit at opposite ends of Quintana Roo’s public safety picture, according to the latest urban safety survey from INEGI (the national statistics agency), which found the state capital well below the national average on perceived insecurity and the resort city well above it.

Chetumal placed 53rd among the 91 urban areas evaluated, with 52.7% of its adult population saying they feel unsafe in their city. That is below the national average of 58.1%.

The survey, which compares conditions between March and September 2026, also recorded a sharp drop in neighborhood disputes in Chetumal, from 44.2% to 28.7% — one of the steepest declines in the country. Confidence in the municipal government rose from 24.6% to 50.6% over the same period, and residents’ negative expectations about crime fell noticeably.

Cancún Improves but Stays Above the National Average

Cancún ranked 31st nationally, with 69.8% of adults reporting they feel unsafe living in the municipality. That is an improvement on the 78.9% recorded a year earlier, but the figure remains above the national average.

INEGI’s survey also pointed to challenges in how residents rate the performance of Cancún’s municipal preventive police force.

Nationwide, 58.1% of adults in urban areas said they feel unsafe in their cities. The Mexican Navy and the Mexican Army remain the institutions with the highest public approval for preventing and combating crime.

Respondents identified ATMs on public streets, streets themselves and public transportation as the places where they feel most vulnerable to crime. Potholes on roads and avenues remained the most pressing urban problem they want local governments to address.