By type of crime
- 51Overall safety
- 44Property crime
- 59Violent crime
Kolonaki scores 59 out of 100 (modelled estimate, Eurostat 2021–2024) for violent crime — average crime, on a scale where 50 is the average for Greece. Kolonaki has no police figures of its own. Its estimate starts from Athens's rate — Athens scores 23 for violent crime — and is adjusted for documented local reporting about Kolonaki. An estimated 15,817 people live there: the 2021 census counts the surrounding community as a whole, and this is its share by area.
The score is absolute, not a ranking: 50 is the offence rate of Greece as a whole and every doubling of the rate costs the same points, so any two places compare directly. How the scores are made
Updated · police figures: Eurostat 2021–2024 · What's new
What Kolonaki is actually like
Kolonaki occupies the slope between Vasilissis Sofias - the embassy and museum avenue - and Lycabettus hill. It is the wealthy quarter: designer boutiques, the Benaki Museum and the Museum of Cycladic Art, the Lycabettus funicular, and cafe terraces on Kolonaki Square where Athenians sit for hours. The shops and restaurants cluster on Skoufa, Tsakalof, Voukourestiou, Patriarchou Ioakim, Kanari, Loukianou, Milioni and Kapsali.
After dark
Busy in a restrained way - restaurants and cocktail bars rather than clubs, and a heavy standing police presence because of the embassies and ministries. Consistently rated one of the most comfortable parts of Athens to walk at midnight.
What to watch for
- Burglary and shop-breaking rather than street crime: a man arrested in October 2025 was linked to at least six break-ins at Kolonaki shops since the previous May
- A violent home invasion in February 2026 - hooded intruders entered a sixth-floor flat from the balcony and tied up an elderly resident, with more than 200,000 euros taken; five suspects were later charged
- Ordinary pickpocketing on the busy cafe streets and around the Evangelismos and Syntagma metro entrances
- Nothing in the Hellenic Police 2026 central Athens petty-crime plan targets Kolonaki
Staying here
The choice for travellers who want comfort, good food and quiet over proximity to the ruins - the Acropolis is a 25-minute walk. Suits older travellers, business visitors and repeat visitors; poor value for a short first trip.
Reputation against reality. Kolonaki's reputation as the safest central district holds up. The one thing readers under-weight is that wealthy districts attract burglary crews rather than pickpockets - the documented 2025-26 Kolonaki cases are break-ins and a home invasion, not street robbery.
Streets and squares: Kolonaki Square (Plateia Kolonakiou) · Skoufa · Tsakalof · Voukourestiou · Patriarchou Ioakim · Kanari
Sources
- Eleftheros Typos - Burglar who emptied Kolonaki shops arrested (Oct 2025)
- Proto Thema - Kolonaki robbery with 200,000 euro haul solved (March 2026)
- This Is Athens (official city guide) - Kolonaki neighbourhood guide
- Athens Tourism Guide - Kolonaki neighbourhood guide (2026)
- Trips From Athens - Is Athens safe at night? (2026)
Other neighbourhoods in Athens
Nearby municipalities
Questions people ask
Is Kolonaki safe?+
SafetyMap estimates Kolonaki (Κολωνάκι) at 59 out of 100 for violent crime — average crime, on a scale where 50 is the Greek average. It is a modelled estimate, not a count of crimes recorded there: it comes from the estimate for Athens, adjusted for documented local reporting about Kolonaki; there are no police figures for Kolonaki itself. As a rate, the estimate comes to roughly 970 property and 76 violent offences per 100,000 residents a year. The written notes on this page class it as “A good place to stay”.
Is Kolonaki safe at night?+
Busy in a restrained way - restaurants and cocktail bars rather than clubs, and a heavy standing police presence because of the embassies and ministries. Consistently rated one of the most comfortable parts of Athens to walk at midnight.
How does Kolonaki compare with the rest of Athens?+
Kolonaki has no police figures of its own. Its estimate starts from Athens's rate — Athens scores 23 for violent crime — and is adjusted for documented local reporting about Kolonaki.