Crowds are back, and so are the opportunists who treat busy sidewalks like a shopping aisle. “Pickpocketing” rarely has a perfect global scoreboard, so this list leans on the best nearby signals: official “theft from the person” figures, police warnings, and reporting tied to high-traffic visitor zones.
None of this means every neighborhood feels risky, or that locals are the problem. It does mean you should plan like a realist: protect phones, split cards and cash, and assume transport hubs are a hunting ground when foot traffic spikes.
1. United Kingdom
London’s street-theft conversation is loud because it’s visible. In the UK Office for National Statistics crime bulletin, “theft from the person” remains a major urban pressure point—exactly the kind of category that spikes in packed visitor corridors, stations, and nightlife zones.
Packed rail platforms and tourist bottlenecks create a perfect “blink and it’s gone” environment. Your best defense is boring discipline: keep the phone out of your hand at curbside, zip bags before you step onto escalators, and avoid back-pocket storage when you’re shoulder-to-shoulder.
2. Portugal
Portugal is often a relaxed-feeling trip, which is exactly why petty theft can catch visitors off guard. The U.S. travel advisory for Portugal specifically flags pickpocketing and theft as common in tourist areas and on public transportation, especially in big-city hotspots.
Police messaging has also focused on “distraction” tactics, where close-contact misdirection replaces classic wallet-lifting. Treat friendly strangers who invade your personal space like a fire alarm: step back, cover valuables, and keep moving.
3. Italy
Italy’s risk is less “danger” and more crowd physics: landmarks and transit nodes compress everyone into the same narrow channels. The U.S. travel advisory for Italy routinely warns about pickpocketing in tourist-heavy areas, including major cities and transport hubs.
Think in layers: a zipped outer pocket, a second wallet kept elsewhere, and a quick plan for card freezes if something vanishes. If you carry a day bag, keep it closed and in front of you on trains—especially at stops where crowds surge on and off.
4. Spain
Spain’s national picture can look calmer than the hotspots—but hotspots are where travelers live. The U.S. travel advisory for Spain calls out pickpocketing and theft in tourist areas and on public transit, which lines up with what visitors report around major stations, nightlife strips, and landmark zones.
Build habits that work anywhere, especially in queues: keep a hand on the zipper, avoid open totes, and don’t leave a device on café tables, even “just for a minute.”
5. Canada
Canada still feels low-drama for many travelers, but dense downtown crowds create the same conditions pickpockets love anywhere else. The U.S. travel advisory for Canada includes theft and petty crime reminders—worth taking seriously if you’ll be moving through stadium crowds, festival streets, or packed transit platforms.
Your best play is simple: carry less, close everything, and keep essentials split. If you’re in an event crowd, assume the person brushing past you is the moment your phone becomes a target.
6. Australia
Australia’s theft figures have climbed in a way that matches what travelers feel on the ground: more opportunistic stealing in busy retail and transit environments. The Australian Bureau of Statistics recorded-crime release is a useful reality check if you want a big-picture signal before you plan heavy time in shopping precincts and transit-heavy city centers.
The takeaway for visitors is practical. Keep your phone off café counters, use a crossbody bag with a closure, and treat crowded shopping streets like you would a festival: fun, loud, and full of wandering hands.
7. Switzerland
Switzerland has seen enough tourist-area pickpocket activity to trigger targeted operations, including arrests tied to heavily visited hotspots. It’s a reminder that “orderly country” does not mean “zero petty crime,” especially where tourists cluster.
Travelers who assume “Switzerland equals no theft” are the easiest mark. Keep the same street-smart routines you’d use in any major European hub: closed bags, no open pockets, and extra care in stations and scenic viewpoints where people stop and stare.
8. United Arab Emirates
The UAE is generally low-crime by international standards, yet even places like Dubai have had enough pickpocketing pressure to change their enforcement posture. A Khaleej Times court report quoted a police officer describing a recent increase in pickpocketing in crowded locations such as Dubai Mall, prompting undercover teams.
In other words, the risk concentrates where tourists concentrate. Carry only what you need, keep wallets in front pockets, and treat packed malls like transit hubs, because the same crowd physics apply.
9. Japan
Japan still ranks as a very safe-feeling trip for many visitors, which is exactly why petty theft gets attention when it flares. The U.S. travel advisory for Japan includes standard theft cautions—most relevant around nightlife and major rail interchanges where tourist density does the thief’s work for them.
The smart move is to avoid complacency: use interior jacket pockets, keep bags zipped on trains, and don’t assume politeness equals zero theft risk.
10. Ireland
Ireland’s official crime reporting has shown theft-related categories moving around over time, and the Irish Central Statistics Office crime and justice releases are the cleanest place to sanity-check the broader direction before you plan heavy time in busy city centers.
In practice, Dublin’s crowds behave like every other popular capital: festivals, pubs, and transit nodes concentrate targets. Keep essentials split across pockets, and set up phone security before arrival—strong passcode plus tracking—because recovery after the fact is usually a long shot.