Travel safety comparison · Europe
Spain vs Portugal: safety comparison
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Spain vs Portugal: side-by-side safety comparison. Risk scores, FCDO + US State advisories, drug law, women's safety, LGBTQ+ status.
Spain and Portugal have very similar overall Warnely composite scores: 23 and 19. The choice between them is unlikely to be driven by the headline number alone. The biggest single category gap is in natural disasters, where Spain scores 1/5 against Portugal's 2/5. Women's-safety rating differs: Spain is Generally Safe and Portugal is Very Safe.
| 🇪🇸Spain | 🇵🇹Portugal | |
|---|---|---|
| Warnely composite (0–100, lower is safer) | 23 / 100 | 19 / 100 |
| Risk tier | Exercise Normal Caution | Very Safe |
| UK FCDO advisory | No active advisory | No active advisory |
| US State Department advisory | Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) | Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) |
| Global Peace Index rank | #25 | #7 |
| Drug law | decrim | decrim |
| Women's safety rating | Generally Safe | Very Safe |
| LGBTQ+ legal status | marriage | marriage |
| Tap water | n/a | n/a |
| Currency | EUR | EUR |
Spain vs Portugal: common questions
Is Spain or Portugal safer to visit?
Portugal has the lower Warnely composite risk score: 19/100 vs 23/100 (lower is safer). Both scores factor in crime, terrorism, natural disasters, health, civil unrest, and infrastructure.
Is Spain or Portugal safer for solo female travellers?
Spain is rated Generally Safe for women's safety; Portugal is rated Very Safe. Read the full guides for city-level detail.
What do FCDO and US State Department say about Spain and Portugal?
Spain: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State). Portugal: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State).