Auckland

Go, but pay attention.

Numbeo's Safety Index puts Auckland at 49/100 for crime — that makes it read sketchier than New Zealand's national picture overall (79/100 vs 84/100).

Verified Sep 9, 2026Confidence high
79Sketch Score

City page · part of New Zealand

The one number a country page can't give you

What people who actually live in Auckland report

Numbeo aggregates thousands of resident-submitted perception surveys into a per-city Crime Index (higher = worse) and its inverse, a Safety Index — the only real city-granularity crime signal feeding this page, alongside New Zealand's national advisory, political, health, and police-trust data.

Crime Index

50.6

Safety Index

49.4

Source: Numbeo, user-submitted →

Sub-scores

Same real inputs as New Zealand's national page, with crime swapped for Auckland's own Numbeo number above.

100advisoryConsensus
73Political Stability
83Police Trust
76Health
82Road Safety
59Natural Disaster
90LGBTQ+
49Crime

Local know-how

Staying safe in Auckland, specifically

  • • Auckland is a safe place to visit, thanks to a quality of life that ranks alongside cities like Munich or Melbourne.
  • • The area locals will most definitely warn you about is South Auckland, which is widely regarded as one of New Zealand's most dangerous locations due to its significant poverty and unemployment rates.
  • • As in the rest of the country, alcohol culture is very prevalent in Auckland, and it is not abnormal to see drunkards of all ages and from all walks of life meander around.
  • • Drugs are also becoming a major issue in Auckland, with drug addicts becoming a common sight along Karangahape Road (commonly known as K' Road) and parts of Queen Street at night.
Source: Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA) →

Legal status (national law)

Legal since 1986+ UN decl. sign.

Source: Wikipedia — LGBTQ rights by country →

Pack this, know this

The little things that trip people up

🔌

Plug & voltage

I · 230V

🚗

Driving side

left

🚨

Emergency

police: 111 / ambulance: 111 / fire: 111

💵

Tipping

Tipping is not part of New Zealand culture and is often treated with suspicion or actively frowned upon, as many people view it as an Americanism that over-compensates certain workers while others are left out. Give the waiter a smile and a thank you instead.

Cash vs. Card

The currency used in New Zealand is the New Zealand dollar, denoted by the symbol "$" or "NZ$" (ISO code: NZD). It is divided into 100 cents. In this guide, the "$" symbol denotes New Zealand dollars unless otherwise indicated.

How this compares to New Zealand

Numbeo's Safety Index puts Auckland at 49/100 for crime — that makes it read sketchier than New Zealand's national picture overall (79/100 vs 84/100).

See the full New Zealand page and all receipts →

Other New Zealand cities on SKETCH.WORLD