These Are the Safest Countries in the World
Safety is a pretty big concern for any traveler. All those art museums, historical landmarks, and chill bars are going to be really hard to enjoy if you're not safe. On that note, here are the safest countries in the world.
The 2016 Global Peace Index, put together by the Institute for Economics and Peace, recently measured the safety and peacefulness of 163 countries according to "23 qualitative and quantitative indicators." After indicators such as terrorism impact, perception of criminality, and political instability were taken into account, Iceland was found to be the world's safest country for the sixth year in a row.
The index scored each country on a 1 - 5 scale, one being the highest, and Iceland's score of 1.192 was almost perfect. Denmark took second (1.192), followed by Austria in third (1.278), making this year's top three identical to last year's index.
The countries at the bottom of the list are all in a state of serious unrest. Syria was considered the most dangerous with a score of 3.806, followed by South Sudan (3.593) and Iraq (3.570).
And where does the US place in all this? The United States didn't even come close to cracking the top 10. It sits between Guinea and Cambodia at 103rd, with a score of 2.154.
Check out the top 10 safest countries below, and then head over to Vision of Humanity to check out the results in fun, interactive map form.
10. Slovenia - 1.408
9. Japan - 1.395
8. Canada - 1.388
7. Switzerland - 1.370
6. Czech Republic - 1.360
5. Portugal - 1.356
4. New Zealand - 1.287
3. Austria - 1.278
2. Denmark - 1.246
1. Iceland - 1.192
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