Here Are the World’s Safest Countries in 2025

If you’ve been considering packing up and finding a peaceful corner of the world to call home, it might be time to look north – as in really north. The annual Global Peace Index has just been released, and as usual, the cold, serene countries with solid welfare systems and more zen than action films dominate the list.

Iceland – Still the Chillest Place on Earth

At the top spot? Iceland. Again. For the 17th year in a row. The small North Atlantic island continues to steer clear of war, crime, and political turmoil. Second place? Ireland. Yes, where Guinness and green hills are everyday sights – a peaceful place according to the experts.

What is this List?

The list comes from the Global Peace Index, an annual report by the Institute for Economics & Peace. They assess 163 countries based on 23 indicators – everything from crime levels to international conflicts and military spending.

Europe is doing well, thank you very much. A total of 14 out of the top 20 countries are located on the continent. Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, and Portugal are part of the happy group – and it’s perhaps not too surprising that countries like Japan, Singapore, and New Zealand also rank highly.

USA? Not So Much

And now for the less flattering part: the USA dropped all the way down to number 128. Yep, out of 163. That’s a bit below countries like El Salvador and Rwanda. This kind of ranking probably won’t earn any high-fives on Capitol Hill.

On the other hand, Canada performs significantly better, sharing the 14th spot with the Netherlands. Apparently, things are a bit calmer up north.

Here are the Top 20 Most Peaceful Countries in the World in 2025:

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

And the Least Peaceful?

At the bottom of the list, we find countries like Yemen, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Ukraine, and Russia. These are areas where war, internal conflicts, and instability have unfortunately become everyday occurrences.

So next time someone says, “it’s dangerous to travel abroad,” you might want to show them this list – and suggest a trip to Iceland instead.

Our team may have used AI to assist in the creation of this content, which has been reviewed by our editors.