A new nationwide study has revealed a worrying picture of women’s safety in India’s cities. According to the National Annual Report and Index on Women’s Safety (NARI) 2025, four out of every ten women living in urban areas say they feel either “not so safe” or outright “unsafe.”
The report, based on inputs from 12,770 women across 31 cities, goes beyond official crime statistics to highlight the lived experiences of women. Alarmingly, 7% of respondents said they had faced harassment in 2024 — ranging from catcalling and lewd remarks to inappropriate touching. Young women between 18–24 years were identified as the most vulnerable.
This figure is a stark contrast to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data for 2022, where reported cases were 100 times lower, underlining the extent of underreporting. The study points to poor street lighting, unsafe public transport, and lack of proper infrastructure as major factors behind these safety concerns.
Among the cities surveyed, Delhi, Kolkata, Ranchi, Srinagar, and Faridabad ranked among the least safe, while Mumbai, Kohima, Vishakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Aizawl, Gangtok, and Itanagar were rated as some of the safest.
The report also found that only 22% of women who experienced harassment reported it to authorities, with many citing fear of stigma or further harassment. Additionally, 53% said they were unsure if their workplaces had a legally mandated Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) policy.
Unveiling the report in Delhi, National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar said, “Our priority is to ensure that every woman feels safe at home, at work, in public spaces, and online.”
Prahallad Rout, MD of Pvalue Analytics, which conducted the study along with the Group of Intellectuals and Academicians (GIA), added, “These findings must guide governments, corporates, and communities to take concrete steps to strengthen women’s safety in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.”
