Violent air attacks in the Middle East that started on the last day of February have far-reaching consequences that affect daily lives of people who may live thousands of kilometers away from the region. Travel – both for business and leisure – is affected. A perfectly reasonable question for a traveler to ask is: now, where are the countries that are safe to visit? Here is a ranking for the countries that are stable without serious conflicts that could threaten residents or tourists.
The Institute for Economics and Peace is a think tank that publishes the Global Peace Index report. It is the result of research that focuses on security, defence, violence and development in 163 states and territories across the world. From traveler’s point of view, the top countries of the Index might be considered the most peaceful destinations in the world.
Here is the top 10 for safest countries in the world according to the Global Peace Index 2025:
- Iceland
- Ireland
- New Zealand
- Austria
- Switzerland
- Singapore
- Portugal
- Denmark
- Slovenia
- Finland
Eight countries in the top 10 are in Europe. New Zealand and Singapore – that both happen to be islands – made it to the top 10 with the 8 European states.
The Global Peace Index ranking for the rest of the top 40 countries:
- Czech Republic
- Japan
- Malaysia
- Netherlands
- Canada
- Belgium
- Hungary
- Australia
- Croatia
- Germany
- Bhutan
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Estonia
- Spain
- Mauritius
- Qatar
- Slovakia
- Bulgaria
- United Kingdom
- Kuwait
- Norway
- Italy
- Montenegro
- Sweden
- Poland
- Mongolia
- Romania
- Vietnam
- Taiwan
As you can see, some destinations that were safe in 2025, and listed relatively high in the index may not be as safe in early 2026 – something to keep in mind when viewing the results.
China ranked 98th in the Global Peace Index, United States of America 128th, and Russia was the last one (least safe) at 163rd.
What were the factors that settled the ranking?
The Global Peace Index comprises 23 indicators that are grouped in three categories: Ongoing domestic and international conflicts, Social safety and security, and Militarisation. The data for the indicators was sourced from, for instance, EIU, Uppsala Data Conflict Program, Gallup, UN, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
BBC reported about the peace index.