{"license":"CC BY 4.0 — attribution: IsMyTripSafe.com","source":"https://ismytripsafe.com/north-macedonia/bitola","updatedAt":"2026-09-19T08:13:39.926Z","place":{"city":"Bitola","country":"North Macedonia","countryCode":"MK","lat":41.03226,"lon":21.33553},"safety":{"score":80,"level":"SAFE","answer":"Yes — generally safe","saferThanPctOfCountries":86,"confidence":0.63,"caps":[],"databaseScore":79,"travellerSentiment":{"score":84,"label":"Mostly positive","summary":"Recent traveler reports indicate visitors feel safe walking around Bitola during the day and in well-lit areas at night, with standard precautions advised for nighttime solitude.","weightInScore":0.18,"components":[{"label":"Reported feel","score":78,"weight":0.35},{"label":"Robbery risk","score":92,"weight":0.45},{"label":"Pickpocket risk","score":78,"weight":0.2}]},"categories":[{"key":"crime","label":"Crime","score":80,"tier":1},{"key":"sentiment","label":"Traveller Sentiment","score":84,"tier":1},{"key":"advisories","label":"Advisories","score":97,"tier":2},{"key":"stability","label":"Stability","score":69,"tier":2},{"key":"health","label":"Health & Air","score":85,"tier":2}]},"advisories":[{"source":"U.S. Department of State","level":1,"label":"Exercise Normal Precautions","updated":"Tue, 14 Jan 2025","url":"https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/north-macedonia-travel-advisory.html"},{"source":"UK Foreign Office (FCDO)","level":1,"label":"No advisory against travel","updated":"2026-08-13T15:16:47Z","url":"https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/north-macedonia"},{"source":"Government of Canada","level":1,"label":"Exercise normal security precautions","updated":"2026-09-09T09:13:44.0691686-04:00","url":"https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/north-macedonia"}],"indicators":[{"key":"homicide","label":"Homicide rate","value":1.52854990019388,"display":"1.5 / 100k","year":"2023","score":90,"source":"World Bank Open Data"},{"key":"crime_major_constraint","label":"Crime seen as a major business constraint","value":1.5,"display":"1.5%","year":"2019","score":96,"source":"World Bank Enterprise Surveys"},{"key":"terrorism_deaths_pm","label":"Terrorism deaths (latest year)","value":0,"display":"0 recorded","year":null,"score":100,"source":"Global Terrorism Database"},{"key":"road_deaths","label":"Road traffic deaths","value":5.7,"display":"5.7 / 100k","year":"2021","score":81,"source":"WHO Global Health Observatory"},{"key":"stability","label":"Political stability & no terrorism","value":68.5558552,"display":"69/100","year":"2024","score":69,"source":"World Bank Governance Indicators"},{"key":"rule_of_law","label":"Rule of law","value":53.0935121,"display":"53/100","year":"2024","score":53,"source":"World Bank Governance Indicators"},{"key":"corruption","label":"Control of corruption","value":41.1908811,"display":"41/100","year":"2024","score":41,"source":"World Bank Governance Indicators"},{"key":"gov_effectiveness","label":"Government effectiveness","value":50.7116064,"display":"51/100","year":"2024","score":51,"source":"World Bank Governance Indicators"},{"key":"regulatory","label":"Regulatory quality","value":59.0627717,"display":"59/100","year":"2024","score":59,"source":"World Bank Governance Indicators"},{"key":"voice","label":"Voice & accountability","value":58.1398502,"display":"58/100","year":"2024","score":58,"source":"World Bank Governance Indicators"},{"key":"city_population_scale","label":"Urban scale factor","value":69287,"display":"69k residents","year":null,"score":89,"source":"City Geocoding"},{"key":"bribery_contact_rate","label":"Bribery during public-official contact","value":6.42,"display":"6.4%","year":"2015","score":84,"source":"UN SDG Global Database"},{"key":"air_quality","label":"Air quality","value":58,"display":"US AQI 58 · Moderate","year":null,"score":86,"source":"Open-Meteo Air Quality"},{"key":"health","label":"Travel health notices","value":null,"display":"3 global notices","year":null,"score":92,"source":"CDC Travelers' Health"},{"key":"hospitals","label":"Hospitals nearby","value":5,"display":"5 within 15 km · nearest ~0.1 km","year":null,"score":88,"source":"OpenStreetMap"},{"key":"weather","label":"Extreme weather","value":26,"display":"September: highs ~26°C · no weather extremes","year":null,"score":100,"source":"Open-Meteo"},{"key":"natural_hazards","label":"Natural hazards","value":0,"display":"No active alerts · 17 quakes ≥M4.5 past yr","year":null,"score":76,"source":"GDACS / USGS"},{"key":"advisory","label":"Government travel advisory","value":1,"display":"Level 1 — Exercise Normal Precautions · 2 govts","year":null,"score":100,"source":"CA / US"}],"healthNotices":[{"level":"Alert","title":"Global Polio","url":"https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/level2/global-polio"},{"level":"Watch","title":"Global Dengue","url":"https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/level1/dengue-global"},{"level":"Watch","title":"Global Measles","url":"https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/level1/measles-globe"}],"hazardAlerts":[],"fieldResearch":{"verdict":"Yes — Bitola is generally safe for travelers, with low violent crime and moderate pickpocketing risk in crowded areas.","summary":"Bitola benefits from low homicide rates, stable governance, and normal U.S./UK/Canada advisories, though weak institutional scores suggest occasional corruption or inefficiency. Visitors report feeling safe day-to-day, but should guard against pickpocketing in markets and on public transport, and remain alert to common tourist scams like taxi overcharging.","robberyRisk":{"level":"Low","note":"Mugging and armed robbery are rare and do not typically target tourists in Bitola."},"pickpocketRisk":{"level":"Moderate","note":"Pickpocketing and bag-snatching occur in busy areas such as the Old Bazaar, markets, and on public transport."},"safeAreas":[],"avoidAreas":[],"scams":["Taxi overcharging at Skopje airport and Bitola bus station","Fake police checks demanding fines for minor infractions"],"zones":[]}}