For anyone considering relocating to a community with a reputation for being secure, steady, and easy-going, they don’t need to look far as these countries featured in the World Peace Survey can provide them with a good deal of material.
This year’s survey showed that while there were increasing levels of tension around the world, military expenditures were on the rise, and political uncertainties continue to increase, a small number of countries can continue to demonstrate how peace can be achieved in times of adversity. The majority of the nations that dominated the rankings of the World Peace Survey in the previous year ranked at or near the top of the ranking once again this year.
The Global Peace Index report also showed that while the overall level of peace in the world was moving in a downward direction to many countries, (e.g., China, Russia, Ukraine, Afghanistan), there was still a small number of countries that were ranked at or near the very top of the peace scale were in fact more peaceful than the rest of the world. Although peace globally is moving downward for 2026.
Before proceeding to the actual list of top ten safest places in the world, let’s take a moment to acknowledge one specific part of the globe.
The Western and Central European countries have proven once again as they relate to stability and quality of life as they have historically had a reputation as safe areas. The majority of these countries fill the majority of the countries in the overall top ten globally as they continue to demonstrate their ability to be some of the safest places on earth.
At the #1 position is one country you would expect…Iceland is still the most peaceful country in the world and has been for around two decades and is able to maintain its top position because of social trust, low levels of crime, and an emphasis on working together in society.
One of the things Iceland is particularly unique for is having no standing army. When combined with the country having stability politically and this is also combined with the countries’ very strong sense of community, makes it very difficult for Iceland to be unseated from the #1 position.
With an increase in rank from 3rd place to 2nd place, New Zealand improves its ranking globally this year.
For a long time, the country has been known for its peaceful people, scenic beauty, and relatively few conflicts. Its continuing progress toward being the best in the world has helped it to maintain this position as one of the world’s most peaceful and stable countries, and to continue to be at or near the top of the overall rankings in the Asia-Pacific region.
Graceful Switzerland
Switzerland slipped ever so slightly in rank this year, but it continues to be high among the world’s most peaceful nations.
Switzerland’s long-standing policy of neutrality, strong institutions, and stable society continue to be a reference point for the rest of the world when it comes to safety from violence and stability in society. Even with a small drop in ranking, Switzerland remains one of the best performers in Europe.
Slovenia – Always Improving
Although foreign attention has lots of other countries that are larger than Slovenia, the country continues to position itself well for additional growth.
The continued growth in domestic security indicators has aided Slovenia’s further climb. Over recent years, Slovenia has developed into one of the strongest peacekeeping leaders in Europe.
Ireland – Still Among the Best
In spite of this year being lower than last year, Ireland continues to be among the top five countries in the world in peacefulness.
Ireland’s ranking benefits from its low involvement in global conflicts and high levels of social cohesion. Most international observers agree that Ireland ranks as one of the most peaceful countries in the world due to its history.
Austria’s position has declined slightly this year but continues to rank among the safest places in the world. Changes in security-related indicators played a role in the decline of Austria’s position concerning other countries, but the country still exhibits extremely high levels of stability and safety compared to most of the rest of the world.
Portugal continues its quiet success story as one of the best countries in Europe based on peace rankings. Portugal ranks well across multiple variables including safety, social cohesion, and prevention of conflict rather than excelling in only a few of these variables, which allowed it to move up slightly this year in comparison to last year.
Singapore maintains its position as the highest-ranked Southeast Asian country. What is amazing about this is that although Singapore is small relative to other Southeast Asian countries, it invests heavily in defense, while also continuing to provide public safety at high levels, as well as having effective institutions and being one of the safest cities in the world.
Finland progresses further.
Finland’s effort has increased its reputation for being among the safest and most stable societies we have.
The country’s high social trust, well-governed government, and lack of internal conflict have all played a major role in continuing to be successful in global peace rankings.
Japan Comes Back to the Top 10
Japan’s largest change this year was its increase of many ranks into the top 10 countries. This increase was due primarily to Japan’s improvements to domestic stability. Despite Japan increasing its emphasis on defense in recent times, it is still among the safest and most orderly societies in the world.
The big point coming from this year’s data is not necessarily which national program placed first but rather seeing how some countries are experiencing an increase in instability while other countries continue to create a focus on long term Stability, Security and Social Trust. Even though many countries have to deal with tensions between governments around the globe and significant increases in military spending by many of those same countries. Countries that rank at the very top reflect that creating long-term Peace will require a focus on developing Strong Institutions, Building Resilience within Communities, and having the Governance Processes and Mechanisms to create successful outcomes.
Therefore, the 2026 Country Peace Rankings reflect the Characteristics of what Stability may become like as we face more complex issues globally.
