What is the most dangerous area of Paris (or its suburbs) according to police statistics?

Inside Paris, the northern east part is the most "dangerous"... Having said that, this is nothing if you compare it to reference cities like Johannesburg for instance.

I found this document : http://medias.lemonde.fr/mmpub/edt/doc/20090831/1233615_29b3_tauxdecriminaliteparville.pdf

It is a bit old but the ranking is certainly still pretty accurate. Around Paris, good places to visit for you are Saint Denis, Aubervilliers and La Courneuve. Inside Paris, you can go to Porte de la Chapelle, Belleville or La Goutte d'Or areas.

(disclaimer: non-French white male, mid 40, French speaking)

Paris is as safe (or dangerous, depending on your point of view) as any other big city in the world.

There is a lot of police everywhere (especially since the last 2 years) and more in the center of the city near the tourist areas.

Most crime against tourists are scams, harassment and pickpocketing and happen in high traffic areas (local attractions, public transport).

Most tourist attractions are centered in the middle of the city (1st to 7th arrondissement)

So...

Some areas beyond the "périphérique" (highway surrounding the city) are maybe less safe, but as a tourist, there is not much to see there (except the wonderful cathedral in Saint-Denis)

(see this, mostly page 17 which display results for small crimes for 2008)

http://julienas.ipt.univ-paris8.fr/vgodard/pub/geomarke/memoires/07-08/boudiaf.pdf

and this (which is more recent and offer an interactive view of the "numbers")

http://edj-code.fr/crime/

Lots of drama in some answers/comments… It reminds me of this US taxi driver who told me he would never go to France after watching US medias reports about "muslim riots" — which really had nothing to do with muslims, and were really localized, both in time, space and number of people involved.

I guess that "dangerousness" in this context is basically the risk of aggression (therefore I assume a different definition than Gayot Fow). It might be obvious but everything has to do with your attitude and appearance. (Do NOT try this !)

Beware of criminal statistics, they are strongly biased, not straightforward to interpret, and sometimes institutionaly falsified.

Gayot Fow mentions migrants camps as being supposedly the most dangerous places. I can't speak from personal experience, but many local associations [fr] are in contact with these people. I'm pretty sure if you dress modestly and are confident and respectful, even more if you bring something to offer, it can be a powerful experience. I read (not online, no link) that some were eager to offer coffee to visiting people. Now things may be different if you dress fancy with ostensible signs of wealth and showing disdain, or if you are a pretty girl wearing short clothes (remember some, if not most, may not be accustomed to see the skin of women in the street), or during the night.

Olielo mentions Aubervilliers. Aubervilliers is basically a giant Chinese supermarket. The criminal rate is high mostly because there is a belief that Chinese people carry high amounts of cash. If you are not from Asian descent, you don't risk much there. Again, appearance…

Olielo also mentions Saint Denis. Note that it is a well-known place for drug traffic, which may increase its criminality rate. Yet Saint-Denis is indubitably one of the least secure places.

Other places newspapers make French people wary about might be Gare du Nord, and the RER B (urban train line), mostly in almost empty wagons I believe.

If you drive, you might also check for intersections with higher risks of theft. I don't know them and they may vary in time.

That being said, I concur with the two first sentences in Max' answer, about Paris (and its surroundings, including Saint Denis) being as safe as any other big city, and police being everywhere.

Here are some statistics, not detailed for Paris intra muros. Max's link (http://edj-code.fr/crime/) is nice too and is complementary, since it focuses on Paris intra muros. Both are in French, though.

If you just want a sensation of danger, as suggested by Gayot Fow, you may find intimidating groups of people at night around metro stations such as Porte de Clignancourt or Barbès, and during the day around entrances of low-rise blocks in subburbs (e.g. Saint-Denis).

Finally, if you visit the XVIth arrondissement (rich residential area) while dressing and walking like a young guy from Paris' suburbs, especially if you're a bit tanned, it is not unlikely that you make French police's acquaintance.