Safest Countries to Live in the World Index | Where Can I Live (2024)

Which are the safest countries to live in the world? We’ve crunched the data to create the Where Can I Live Safest Countries to Live Index. We use official statistics for the definitive list of the safest places to move to. We measure the risk of violence, crime rates, healthcare, societal stability, and natural disasters.

The Top 20 Safest Countries to Live In

  1. Singapore
  2. Iceland
  3. Denmark
  4. Finland
  5. Switzerland
  6. Norway
  7. Austria
  8. Sweden
  9. Ireland
  10. Japan
  11. Germany
  12. Netherlands
  13. New Zealand
  14. Portugal
  15. Czech Republic
  16. Canada
  17. Slovenia
  18. Belgium
  19. Australia
  20. Spain

Our new index kicked up some surprises for the safest place to live in the world! What wasn’t a surprise is that many of the Top 20 also make our list of the best countries for Expats.

The Safest Countries to live in Europe

The top five are from Northern Europe and the Nordics and have topped the table for many years.

  1. Iceland (Where Can I Live Rank 2)
  2. Denmark (3)
  3. Finland (4)
  4. Switzerland (5)
  5. Norway (6)

As a continent, Europe tops our rankings by far and is the safest place to live in the world. Fifteen of the top 20 countries are from Europe, and twelve are European Union (E.U.) member nations.

What do these countries have in common?

They all have stable governance, are relatively prosperous, and have lower levels of inequality than other comparable economies. Their spending on healthcare, education, and modern thinking on crime prevention all contribute. After a terrible early impact, the general response to the COVID-19 pandemic was strong.

As a continent, Europe suffers from fewer natural disasters than other parts of the world.

The cultures range widely, from the Nordics to the Mediterranean. Population sizes vary considerably, from Iceland, with just 300,000 citizens, to 84 million in Germany.

All are democracies, although some still have constitutional monarchies.

Safest Countries to Live in the World Index | Where Can I Live (1)

The Safest Countries to Live in Asia

  1. Singapore (Where Can I Live Rank 1)
  2. Japan (10)
  3. South Korea (21)
  4. Malaysia (33)
  5. Vietnam (48)

Five diverse Asian powerhouses head up the list. Singapore and Japan have been in the Top 20 for many years and look set to continue.

The Safest Countries to Live in Central & South America

Safest Countries to Live in the World Index | Where Can I Live (2)
  1. Uruguay (Where Can I Live Rank 31)
  2. Costa Rica (36)
  3. Chile (40)
  4. Argentina (44)
  5. Panama (49)

Uruguay continues to build a reputation as a secure Expat destination. Costa Rica’s demilitarized policy definitely contributes to its excellent reputation.

The Safest Countries in Africa

  1. Mauritius (Where Can I Live Rank 39)
  2. Botswana (56)
  3. Tunisia (65)
  4. Ghana (66)

Mauritius is another destination attracting growing numbers of Expats. In no small part, this is because of the safe and stable society. Botswana has long been a stable democracy with strong growth.

Safest Countries to Live in the World Index | Where Can I Live (3)

The Safest Places to Live in the Middle East

  1. Qatar (Where Can I Live Rank 22)
  2. Kuwait (38)
  3. United Arab Emirates (42)

The countries of the Middle East come with a strong caveat. LGBTQI+ and women face different dangers. All potential Expats should consider the societal and legal norms of these countries.

The Best of the Rest

  1. New Zealand (Where Can I Live Rank 13)
  2. Canada (16)
  3. Australia (19)

New Zealand and Australia have long-standing reputations as safe and stable democracies. Both countries do have areas at risk of natural disasters. Australia is one of the countries most likely to be negatively impacted by climate change.

Canada also has areas at high risk of natural disasters, but rates strongly in most other areas.

7 Safest and Cheapest Places to Live in the World

We used theWhere Can I Live Cheapest Countries to Live Indexfor this list. To qualify, countries must be in the Top 50 Safest Countries and the Top 60 Cheapest Countries. Here are the results, ranked by safety.

#CountryWCIL Safest Index RankWCIL Cheapest Index RankCost of Living vs USACost of Living vs Germany
1Malaysia342842%52%
2Bulgaria423744%55%
3Romania433343%53%
4Argentina445752%64%
5Serbia463644%54%
6Montenegro484347%58%
7Vietnam504648%59%

The Safest and Happiest Countries in the World

We cross-referenced our data for the Safest Countries with the renowned World Happiness Report 2022. The result confirmed our suspicions – being safe has a big impact on happiness. The Top 5 Happiest Countries in the world all rank in our Top 15 Safest Countries to Live.

  1. Finland (4th Safest Country to Live)
  2. Denmark (3rd Safest Country to Live)
  3. Iceland (2nd Safest Country to Live)
  4. Switzerland (5th Safest Country to Live)
  5. Netherlands (12th Safest Country to Live)

And is the USA a safe place to live?

The United States of America (U.S.A.) comes in at position fifty-eight. A high prosperity score is offset by lower scores from the Global Peace Index and higher environmental risks.

The environmental risk figure may be misleading. The USA has a massive range of environments, so Florida’s hurricanes, California’s wildfires, Texan droughts, and Mississippi floods are all counted.

How did we choose the safest place to live in the world?

We looked at the four most important factors for your personal safety. We researched each element’s most respected and up-to-date statistics, giving us our index. Please see Appendix 1 for our detailed methodology.

1) Crime and Violence

The first pillar of our Safest Countries to Live Index is the most important. Are citizens under threat from people in their own country? This takes in crime rate, homicide and other violent crime rates, terrorist threats, and more.

Our source for Crime and Violence Statistics

2) Healthcare and Health Outcomes

Being safe from disease and preventable death is the next pillar of our index. Critically, if you fall ill, there is an accessible, high-quality healthcare system to support you. A disease that is trivial in Portugal may be fatal in Afghanistan.

The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the biggest current global health challenges. We use COVID-19 vaccination rates to measure a country’s resilience to the disease.

Our source for Healthcare and Health Outcomes

3) Governance and Living Conditions

“A hungry man is an angry man.” is a wise old proverb. Countries with strong government institutions and living conditions tend to develop less crime and civil unrest. A prosperous and equitable economy is a good indication of a country’s future safety and security.

Note: This ranking does not look at democracy and freedom. It only ranks stability as a measure of safety. For this reason, some countries with low democratic scores can still rank highly.

Our source for Governance and Living Conditions

The 2021 Legatum Prosperity index is our source for this information. The Legatum Institute is a globally recognized researcher in global prosperity for policy direction. We combine the Governance and Living Conditions pillars.

4) Natural Disaster Risk and Readiness

Floods, hurricanes, wildfires, droughts, and earthquakes are all major safety risks. The readiness of a country to respond to these natural disasters is vital to minimize the impact.

Climate change is accelerating many extreme weather events globally. With global heating trends set to continue, the importance of this risk will grow in the coming years.

Our source for ecological threat nation disaster response readiness

The 2022 Global Risks Report is produced by the World Economic Forum (W.E.F.).

What are the limitations of the data?

We think our index is the most well-balanced view of how safe a country is. However, it isn’t perfect… Here are the things we know should be considered.

  1. Not all countries and territories in the world are represented. We’ve excluded countries where data is incomplete or unreliable. This mainly impacts smaller countries, including many in the Caribbean.
  2. We don’t look at the risk range of a country. What does that mean?
    • Expats in Panama report being very relaxed in many areas of the country. However, parts of Colón and the Darién Gap are exceptionally dangerous.
    • In New Zealand, the city of Dunedin on the South Island has a much higher earthquake threat than Hamilton on the North Island.
  3. Different choices impact your exposure to different dangers. We can’t factor these into our figures in a meaningful way.
  4. We don’t measure for subgroups. For example, LGBTQI+ Expats may face a raft of challenges to their well-being that others do not face. Countries that are safe for men may be less safe for women. In some countries, the practice of unsanctioned religions or atheism can be a threat.
  5. We don’t account for the impacts of current geopolitical issues. See our section on the war in Ukraine for more information.

The War in Ukraine

It is impossible to include the risks of a conflict like the war in Ukraine. Obviously, there are massive impacts on the safety and security of the citizens and infrastructure of Ukraine. However, there are other factors.

  • Finland and Sweden joined NATO in response to Russian aggression, and the outcome of this action is unknown.
  • Neighbors like Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland could be at risk of fallout in the event of a nuclear attack.
  • The Baltic States of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia have strongly opposed Russian aggression. The impact of this stance is unknown.

Our index cannot account for the uncertainty and fluidity of these types of conflict.

The 7 most dangerous countries to live

The countries with the lowest scores all have failed governance, internal conflict, and very low economic activity.

  1. Somalia (Where Can I Live Rank 139)
  2. Yemen (138)
  3. Afghanistan (137)
  4. Sudan (136)
  5. Haiti (135)
  6. Mali (134)
  7. Chad (133)

Want to move to the safest place to live in the world?

Use the Where Can I Live Country Explorer to find out more. We cover visas, residency permits, citizenship, and much more. We also have moving guides and in-depth reports on Expat life in many of the countries in our index.

Your location and how you plan your lifestyle make a massive difference to your personal safety. Because of this, we always suggest talking to Expats in the country for an accurate view of the risks and dangers. They’ll be able to compare their experiences in their new and old homes to give you great insights. Just reading the news can be very misleading!

We’ve been really surprised by some results, while others confirmed our guesses. For now, these are the safest countries to live in the world.

FAQ – Safest Country to Live Index

Which is the safest country to live in the world?

Singapore is rated #1 on the Where Can I Live Safest Country to Live Index

What is the safest & cheapest country to live in?

Malaysia is the 33rd Safest and 49th Cheapest country, making it our Safest & Cheapest Country.

Which country is the safest & happiest?

Finland is the happiest country and is the 4th safest country in the world.

What makes a country safe?

You should consider the risks from crime and violence, healthcare and disease levels, social stability, and natural disasters.

Appendix 1 – Index Methodology

We’ve chosen the statistics from expert international organizations with expertise in safety and security. All are available for public access and review. These are the six sources (in order of importance).

  1. Global Peace Index 2021 Ranking (Possible 600 points)
  2. Legatum 2021 Health Pillar Score (Possible 300 points)
  3. Legatum Governance + Living Conditions Pillar Scores (Possible 300 points)
  4. US State Department Travel Advisory October 2022 (Possible 200 Points)
  5. Our World in Data Covid-19 Vaccination Rates per 100 people October 2022 (Possible 200 points)
  6. World Economic Forum 2022 Natural Disaster Risk and Readiness (Possible 100 points)

Appendix 2 – Where Can I Live Rankings of 139 countries with complete data

RankCountryRegionWCIL Index Score
1SingaporeAsia1696.6
2IcelandEurope1679.5
3DenmarkEurope1674.4
4FinlandEurope1656.9
5SwitzerlandEurope1648.8
6NorwayEurope1632.0
7AustriaEurope1629.2
8SwedenEurope1607.6
9IrelandEurope1607.0
10JapanAsia1596.6
11GermanyEurope1582.5
12NetherlandsEurope1573.6
13New ZealandOceania1572.4
14PortugalEurope1555.4
15Czech RepublicEurope1541.4
16CanadaNorth America1533.6
17SloveniaEurope1529.3
18BelgiumEurope1526.8
19AustraliaOceania1519.3
20SpainEurope1471.2
21South KoreaAsia1468.7
22QatarMEA1468.3
23United KingdomEurope1466.6
24EstoniaEurope1454.6
25ItalyEurope1422.2
26SlovakiaEurope1417.4
27HungaryEurope1382.8
28CroatiaEurope1368.5
29PolandEurope1366.1
30FranceEurope1364.9
31UruguaySouth America1361.9
32LithuaniaEurope1352.9
33MalaysiaAsia1349.2
34LatviaEurope1347.1
35CyprusEurope1341.6
36Costa RicaCentral America1327.4
37GreeceEurope1305.8
38KuwaitMEA1305.6
39MauritiusMEA1303.3
40ChileSouth America1290.4
41BulgariaEurope1262.0
42United Arab EmiratesMEA1244.4
43RomaniaEurope1243.5
44ArgentinaSouth America1206.5
45IsraelMEA1166.0
46MontenegroEurope1152.7
47SerbiaEurope1140.2
48VietnamAsia1137.3
49PanamaCentral America1116.1
50MongoliaAsia1086.7
51OmanMEA1083.6
52BahrainMEA1080.6
53AlbaniaEurope1072.0
54JordanMEA1065.3
55ChinaAsia1061.6
56BotswanaMEA1048.8
57ArmeniaEurope1042.1
58United States of americaNorth America1026.6
59IndonesiaAsia1019.3
60Sri LankaAsia998.7
61ParaguaySouth America987.3
62ThailandAsia975.7
63KazakhstanEurope967.4
64CubaCentral America964.6
65TunisiaMEA957.4
66GhanaMEA957.0
67MoldovaEurope952.0
68JamaicaCentral America945.9
69MoroccoMEA941.5
70GeorgiaEurope937.7
71EcuadorSouth America928.6
72RwandaMEA922.7
73UzbekistanAsia903.8
74BrazilSouth America896.3
75Dominican RepublicCentral America895.3
76PeruSouth America893.1
77NepalAsia887.9
78TurkmenistanAsia884.4
79NamibiaMEA865.5
80CambodiaAsia863.8
81BelarusEurope816.2
82BoliviaSouth America809.8
83SenegalMEA807.6
84ZambiaMEA798.9
85TajikistanAsia793.3
86ColombiaSouth America777.4
87MexicoCentral America764.0
88TurkeyEurope756.9
89El SalvadorCentral America741.9
90GuyanaSouth America736.7
91AlgeriaMEA735.6
92MalawiMEA732.4
93BangladeshAsia716.2
94AzerbaijanAsia714.1
95IndiaAsia708.8
96LiberiaMEA702.0
97PhilippinesAsia701.9
98South AfricaMEA701.4
99GabonMEA683.0
100TanzaniaMEA681.7
101Sierra LeoneMEA680.4
102BeninMEA665.9
103LesothoMEA650.8
104NicaraguaCentral America632.7
105EswatiniMEA625.3
106LebanonMEA600.0
107GuatemalaCentral America581.1
108KenyaMEA580.8
109TogoMEA574.1
110DjiboutiMEA563.4
111HondurasCentral America562.3
112AngolaMEA561.3
113IranMEA531.2
114UkraineEurope511.9
115EgyptMEA508.0
116MadagascarMEA496.9
117ZimbabweMEA474.2
118UgandaMEA467.2
119MozambiqueMEA449.0
120MauritaniaMEA435.2
121GuineaMEA431.1
122PakistanAsia428.7
123EthiopiaMEA368.0
124Guinea-BissauMEA364.5
125MyanmarAsia358.4
126NigerMEA335.9
127VenezuelaSouth America335.1
128CameroonMEA311.3
129EritreaMEA304.5
130IraqMEA294.6
131NigeriaMEA288.6
132BurundiMEA281.6
133ChadMEA237.9
134MaliMEA236.8
135HaitiCentral America192.6
136SudanMEA154.1
137AfghanistanAsia127.3
138YemenMEA48.2
139SomaliaMEA44.4
Safest Countries to Live in the World Index | Where Can I Live (2024)

FAQs

What is the number 1 safest country to live in? ›

What country is #1 in safety? The safest place in the world is Iceland, which ranks number one on the 2022 Global Peace Index. Iceland, with a score of 1.107, has held this position on the GPI for over a decade.

Where is the best place to live in the world for safety? ›

Profiles of the World's 10 Safest Countries
  1. Iceland. According to the Global Peace Index, Iceland is the safest country in the world for the 14th year in a row. ...
  2. New Zealand. New Zealand is the second-safest country in the world. ...
  3. Ireland. ...
  4. Denmark. ...
  5. Austria. ...
  6. Portugal. ...
  7. Slovenia. ...
  8. Czech Republic.

Which country is the safest in the world index? ›

Iceland

Where does the US rank in safety? ›

Hey, America — need a safe space? According to the masterminds behind this year's Global Peace Index, don't look anywhere in the relatively rancorous United States, which ranked a dismal #133 on a new list of the safest countries in the world.

How safe is the USA? ›

Although the USA is generally safe, some cities are considered to be more dangerous than others, with some areas that you should avoid. Detroit, St Louis, Chicago, Baltimore and Memphis all have some very dangerous neighbourhoods that should be avoided, but the city centres and tourist areas are generally safe.

What is the riskiest country to live in? ›

The 12 Most Dangerous Countries in the World
  1. Afghanistan. With a 2023 score of 3.448 (slightly safer than 2022's 3.554), Afghanistan remains the most dangerous country in the world for the sixth year in a row. ...
  2. Yemen. ...
  3. Syria. ...
  4. South Sudan. ...
  5. DR Congo. ...
  6. Russia. ...
  7. Ukraine.

Is the USA a safe country to live in? ›

You might be shocked to learn that, out of 163 countries, the US was ranked the 131st safest country in the world in 2023 by the Global Peace Index. So where is the safest place to live in the US? The personal-finance website WalletHub released a 2023 report listing the safest cities in the US.

Which country is the best to live in the world index? ›

According to their findings, the top five countries were Denmark, Sweden, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. In 2023, global happiness saw a notable increase, rising 6 points from the previous year and 10 points from 2020, with 73% of respondents reporting increased happiness.

Which country has the lowest crime rate? ›

Countries with lowest crime rates
  • Iceland. Famed for its tight-knit communities and extraordinarily low crime rates, it's one of the safest countries to visit. ...
  • Switzerland. ...
  • Singapore. ...
  • Japan. ...
  • Norway. ...
  • New Zealand. ...
  • Denmark. ...
  • Ireland.
Oct 18, 2023

Where is the safest place to live in the world in 2024? ›

1. Iceland. Because of its exceptional blend of low crime rates, high social cohesiveness, and a stable political climate, Iceland stands out as one of the safest countries in the world. Both residents and tourists share a general feeling of security that is influenced by these elements.

What is the safest most affordable country to live in? ›

Among the safest countries, the most affordable are Latvia, Chile, Costa Rica, Slovakia, and Lithuania. A person with a moderate lifestyle needs on average $1,000—1,100 per month to live comfortably in one of these countries.

What is the 1 safest state in the US? ›

The safest state in the U.S., according to the U.S. News methodology, is New Hampshire. With a violent crime rate of 126 per 100,000 and a property crime rate of 1,011 per 100,000, New Hampshire enjoys a high rate of public safety. At number two is Maine, followed by Idaho at number three.

What is the cheapest country to live in? ›

The cheapest countries in the world are Pakistan, Egypt, and Bhutan. To live comfortably in one of these states, a person needs under $400 per month.

What's the safest state in America? ›

The safest state in the U.S., according to the U.S. News methodology, is New Hampshire. With a violent crime rate of 126 per 100,000 and a property crime rate of 1,011 per 100,000, New Hampshire enjoys a high rate of public safety.

What is the 1 best country to live in? ›

  • Sweden. #1 in Quality of Life. #3 in Best Countries Overall. ...
  • Norway. #2 in Quality of Life. #11 in Best Countries Overall. ...
  • Canada. #3 in Quality of Life. ...
  • Denmark. #4 in Quality of Life. ...
  • Finland. #5 in Quality of Life. ...
  • Switzerland. #6 in Quality of Life. ...
  • Netherlands. #7 in Quality of Life. ...
  • Australia. #8 in Quality of Life.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Melvina Ondricka

Last Updated:

Views: 6200

Rating: 4.8 / 5 (48 voted)

Reviews: 95% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Melvina Ondricka

Birthday: 2000-12-23

Address: Suite 382 139 Shaniqua Locks, Paulaborough, UT 90498

Phone: +636383657021

Job: Dynamic Government Specialist

Hobby: Kite flying, Watching movies, Knitting, Model building, Reading, Wood carving, Paintball

Introduction: My name is Melvina Ondricka, I am a helpful, fancy, friendly, innocent, outstanding, courageous, thoughtful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.