As several European cities grapple with escalating gang violence and drug-related shootings, Tallinn has emerged as an exception.
A new overview by Euronews places the Estonian capital at the safest end of Europe’s gun crime rankings. While Brussels, Stockholm and Marseille dominate headlines with machine gun rampages, teenage hitmen and mafia turf wars, Tallinn remains notable for its absence of such violence. The review found no recent cases of firearm-related homicides or gang shootings in the city.
The differences across Europe are sharp. Brussels, described as “the gun crime capital of Europe,” recorded 57 shootings by mid-August this year, prompting Belgian ministers to consider deploying soldiers on the streets. Stockholm has counted 55 shootings in 2025, part of a nationwide surge that has unsettled Sweden’s image of safety. In Marseille, drug clan wars have left dozens dead in recent years, while Amsterdam’s gangs increasingly turn to explosives in their conflicts.
Cities such as Athens, Lisbon and Rome also report sporadic but deadly incidents tied to organised crime. Even usually calm Prague saw its reputation shaken by a mass shooting at Charles University in 2023.
With around 460,000 residents, Tallinn is smaller than most European capitals, but its safety record reflects more than size. Estonia as a whole has one of the lowest firearm-related homicide rates in Europe, and its capital shows little sign of the entrenched drug gang networks that destabilise many larger urban centres.
While Tallinn has expanded rapidly in wealth, tourism and international profile, it has so far avoided the drug-fuelled violence that has become a feature of life elsewhere.
For residents and visitors alike, Tallinn’s ranking is more than a statistical footnote. Safety remains one of Estonia’s strongest calling cards – a backdrop to its digital society and vibrant cultural life.
