The 10 Safest Countries in the World, Ranked by Perception

The U.S. doesn't come close to being seen as one of the most secure countries in the world.

U.S. News & World Report

The 10 Safest Countries in the World, Ranked by Perception

Young man and woman crossing street at night, side view
Credit

(Getty Stock Images)

The Safest Countries in the World

Safety is one of the top priorities for nations worldwide, be it in better protecting its citizens on the streets, guarding them against wrongdoing, or even safeguarding them against online crime.

While a certain island nation is perceived as the safest in the world, European countries dominate this category in the 2020 Best Countries report. Scandinavian countries, as well as Switzerland, Canada, Australia and the Netherlands perform better in this category, as people around the world associate them with a high level of safety.

Being seen as safe is one of nine equally weighted attributes used to develop the Quality of Life sub-ranking in the 2020 Best Countries report. The survey is based on a study that surveyed more than 20,000 global citizens from four regions to assess perceptions of 73 countries on 65 different metrics

The following are the top 10 countries viewed as the safest. The U.S. fails to make the list, coming in at No. 32.

Amsterdam  NetherlandsCorner Keizersgracht and Leidsegracht. Nice point for a classic Amsterdam Canal Photo.
Credit

(Getty Images)

The Netherlands

Safest Country: 10

Best Countries Overall Rank: 9

Learn more about The Netherlands.

Next:

The Safest Countries in the World

Safety is one of the top priorities for nations worldwide, be it in better protecting its citizens on the streets, guarding them against wrongdoing, or even safeguarding them against online crime.

While a certain island nation is perceived as the safest in the world, European countries dominate this category in the 2020 Best Countries report. Scandinavian countries, as well as Switzerland, Canada, Australia and the Netherlands perform better in this category, as people around the world associate them with a high level of safety.

Being seen as safe is one of nine equally weighted attributes used to develop the Quality of Life sub-ranking in the 2020 Best Countries report. The survey is based on a study that surveyed more than 20,000 global citizens from four regions to assess perceptions of 73 countries on 65 different metrics

The following are the top 10 countries viewed as the safest. The U.S. fails to make the list, coming in at No. 32.

The Netherlands

Safest Country: 10

Best Countries Overall Rank: 9

Learn more about The Netherlands.

Austria

Safest Country: 9

Best Countries Overall Rank: 18

Learn more about Austria.

Finland

Safest Country: 8

Best Countries Overall Rank: 14

Learn more about Finland.

Sweden

Safest Country: 7

Best Countries Overall Rank: 8

Learn more about Sweden.

New Zealand

Safest Country: 6

Best Countries Overall Rank: 11

Learn more about New Zealand.

Australia

Safest Country: 5

Best Countries Overall Rank: 5

Learn more about Australia.

Denmark

Safest Country: 4

Best Countries Overall Rank: 13

Learn more about Denmark.

Norway

Safest Country: 3

Best Countries Overall Rank: 10

Learn more about Norway.

Canada

Safest Country: 2

Best Countries Overall Rank: 2

Learn more about Canada.

Switzerland

Safest Country: 1

Best Countries Overall Rank: 1

Learn more about Switzerland.

Safest Countries in the World, Ranked by Perception

  • Switzerland
  • Canada
  • Norway
  • Denmark
  • Australia
  • New Zealand
  • Sweden
  • Finland
  • Austria
  • Netherlands

Want to Know More?

The 2019 U.S. News Best Countries rankings, formed in partnership with BAV Group, a unit of global marketing communications company VMLY&R, and The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, aim to gauge global perceptions of the world's largest economies.

Find out how your country did in the 2020 Best Countries rankings and explore more news, data and analysis on U.S. News.

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Best Countries

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Best Countries is a rankings, news and analysis project created to capture how countries are perceived on a global scale. The rankings evaluate 73 countries across 24 rankings drawn from a survey of more than 20,000 global citizens, measuring 75 dimensions that have the potential to drive trade, travel and investment and directly affect national economies.