London ranks 10th place in world's most rat-infested cities, data shows

Their little teeth terrify you. Their coats make you shiver. Their long tails give you cold sweats. Their little noises make your blood run cold. You have of course recognized what we are talking about: rats, which are often at the heart of many phobias around the world.

2022 rankings show London in second place

In many cities around the world, people complain that there are too many rats in their homes, garages, basements and on the streets. But where do you find the most rats? Londoners will, of course, assume London to be at the top of the list, but they would be wrong.

Several rankings come out periodically to answer this question. In 2022, one of them was shared by ConnexionFrance. In that list, there were several French cities including Marseille, Atlanta in theUnited States, then Johannesburg, South Africa, followed by Guangzhou, China, and finally Hamelin, Germany.

London found itself in the second position, and the title of rattiest city in the world went to Deshnoke, India.

Recent data reveals new rankings

However, more recent data presented by Private Exterminator has revealed an entirely different ranking. According to them, London does not hold the second position, but it is still in the top 10—with an estimated 20 million rats roaming around the streets. They even included a list of the boroughs in London that play host to the most rodents and they are:

• Tower Hamlets
• Brent
• Camden
• Lambeth
• Ealing
• Redam
• Redling
• Islington
• Wandsworth

Birmingham also made the list in the 18th position with 216 rats for every 100 people. There has been a surge in infestation in the city over the past few years and Private Exterminator states that:

the lockdown over the past few years has also played a key role in attracting more rats to residential areas.

So, which other cities were featured on Private Exterminator's not-so-prestigious list of rat-infested cities? Most of them are in the United States including San Fransisco, Cleveland, Detroit, Minneapolis, Boston, and Washington.

Chicago was crowned the city with the most rat inhabitants, with 647 for every 100 people.

You can look at the full ranking here.

This article has been adapted from Gentside FR.

Read more:

⋙ Urgent warning issued as rat invasions are surging and it could be dangerous for your health

⋙ Brits warned not to poison 300 million super-rats taking over UK, here's why

Sources used:

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ConnexionFrance: Paris and Marseille in top 10 most rat-infested cities in the world

Private Exterminator: 25 Ratties Cities - World's most rat-infested cities