As a family or solo traveller assessing where to relax and enjoy a holiday vibe can be the most difficult choice. So, here’s an official list of the safest and most dangerous countries to visit.
Safest Countries
Safety can be defined in many ways for an individual but the Institute of Economics and Peace (IEP) takes this to a new level. It has released its annual Global Peace Index (GPI), a data-driven measurement of global peacefulness.
The results are broadly similar to previous years, with IEP ranking 163 nations using three domains of peacefulness: the level of societal safety and security, the extent of ongoing domestic and international conflict and the degree of militarisation. Within these are 23 further indicators.
Here’s IEP’s 10 safest countries in the world:
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Austria
- New Zealand
- Singapore
- Switzerland
- Portugal
- Denmark
- Slovenia
- Malaysia
More research from Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, which surveys US travellers, and assesses data such as the Global Peace Index, offered up a not-too-dissimilar list:
- Iceland
- Australia
- Canada
- Ireland
- Switzerland
- New Zealand
- Germany
- Norway
- Japan
- Denmark
Dangerous Countries
When weighing up the riskiest countries in the world, the IEP’s Global Terrorism Index offers no real surprises. Based on four indicators: incidents, fatalities, injuries and hostages, with the impact of terrorism on a five-year weighted average, showed the leading nations as:
- Burkina Faso
- Israel
- Mali
- Pakistan
- Syria
- Afghanistan
- Somalia
- Nigeria
- Myanmar
- Niger
Conclusion
Indeed, there are many other lists that cover different components of risk including climate, medical and crime. The lists above are just a guideline, but before travelling always do your research. Travel safe!
Andy Probert is an independent journalist and PR writer. He writes about travel, aviation, new tech and business. His work has appeared on the BBC, in The Daily Telegraph, Hurriyet Daily News and other newspapers worldwide.
