For almost two decades, the Global Peace Index has been tracking peacefulness and safety worldwide – and for the nineteenth year running, Iceland has retained its title as the most peaceful country in the world.
How is the Global Peace Index created?
This massive annual study, produced annually by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), assesses 163 independent states and territories across three domains: ongoing domestic and international conflict; societal safety and security; and militarisation.
It then scores each country on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being most peaceful and 5 being least peaceful.
Why is Iceland the world’s safest country?
According to the report, Iceland is ‘the most peaceful country in the world by a significant margin’. The Nordic nation recorded an improvement in peacefulness of two percent since last year’s ranking, with the most significant improvement in the ‘safety and security’ domain.
So why is Iceland such a peaceful place to live? Notably, the country doesn’t have a standing military, but its safety levels are also defined by strong social cohesion. Iceland has very low crime rates, a culture rooted in shared values and mutual understanding, a comprehensive welfare system to protect citizens, and overall trust in local government.
The second-safest country in the world right now is New Zealand, followed by Switzerland, Slovenia and Ireland. Seven of the ten safest countries in 2026 are in Europe. You can compare the results to last year’s list here.
The world’s safest countries in 2026
- Iceland
- New Zealand
- Switzerland
- Slovenia
- Ireland
- Austria
- Portugal
- Singapore
- Finland
- Japan
- Denmark
- Malaysia
- Czechia
- Canada
- Hungary
- Bhutan
- Netherlands
- Mauritius
- Latvia
- Australia
Read the full report from the Global Peace Index 2026 here.
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