Iceland is the safest country in the world in 2026 — GPI score 1.161, #1 for the 19th consecutive year. Portugal (#7) is the highest-ranked major expat destination; 7 of the top 10 safest countries are in Europe.
Global ranking
Global Peace Index (GPI) score — lower = safer. Composite of 23 indicators across ongoing conflict, safety & security, and militarisation, covering 163 countries and territories. Source: Institute for Economics & Peace, Global Peace Index 2026 (released June 2026). Full country write-ups are in GeoRank's country guides; see methodology for how GeoRank's own layers are validated.
The combination
Countries ranked by combining a representative city's sunshine hours and the country's 2026 GPI rank. The sweet spot is still Mediterranean and Balkan Europe — high sun, high safety, competitive cost. Malta is a sunny, popular expat island but isn't one of the 163 countries/territories the GPI covers, so it's replaced here by Montenegro. See GeoRank's sunniest cities in Europe ranking and cheapest countries guide for the underlying city data.
| # | Country (city) | GPI rank | Sunshine hr/yr | Est. cost/mo | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portugal (Lisbon) | #7 | 2,781 | $2,004 | ★★★★★ |
| 2 | Montenegro (Podgorica) | #30 | 2,518 | $1,180 | ★★★★½ |
| 3 | Bulgaria (Sofia) | #26 | 2,086 | $1,282 | ★★★★½ |
| 4 | Croatia (Split) | #23 | 2,564 | $1,708 | ★★★★ |
| 5 | Slovenia (Ljubljana) | #4 | 1,709 | $1,731 | ★★★★ |
| 6 | Spain (Malaga) | #27 | 2,936 | $1,728 | ★★★★ |
| 7 | Cyprus (Paphos) | #80 | 3,287 | $1,730 | ★★★½ |
| 8 | Italy (Rome) | #35 | 2,509 | $2,051 | ★★★½ |
| 9 | New Zealand (Auckland) | #2 | 2,018 | $1,942 | ★★★½ |
| 10 | Greece (Athens) | #53 | 2,783 | $1,482 | ★★★ |
Expat destinations
GPI score and rank alongside Numbeo's 2026 Safety Index (0–100, higher = safer) where the gap between structural peace and day-to-day crime perception is worth knowing. Country guides: Portugal, Spain, Cyprus, Georgia, Thailand — or check visa routes at the visa checker.
| Destination | GPI score | GPI rank (of 163) | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | 1.427 | #7 | Highest-ranked expat destination in Southern Europe |
| Montenegro | 1.672 | #30 | Balkan coast; safe, cheap, growing with remote workers |
| Bulgaria | 1.628 | #26 | EU member; improving steadily |
| Romania | 1.788 | #45 | Similar profile to Bulgaria; petty crime in central Bucharest |
| Spain | 1.654 | #27 | Safe overall, but only 62.4/100 on Numbeo Safety — tourist-area pickpocketing |
| Greece | 1.828 | #53 | Safe for residents (Numbeo Safety 53.8/100); Athens busier than the islands |
| Cyprus | 1.967 | #80 | Very low violent crime; property crime in tourist areas |
| UAE (Dubai) | 1.927 | #73 | Numbeo Safety 86.0/100 — among the highest anywhere; strict legal system |
| Georgia | 2.066 | #94 | Numbeo Safety 73.8/100 — Tbilisi feels safe day-to-day despite border-region conflict dragging the GPI score down |
| Bali (Indonesia) | 1.918 | #69 | Indonesia's national score; Bali itself very safe locally |
| Thailand | 2.089 | #101 | Numbeo Safety 63.4/100; political instability weighs on the GPI score |
| Colombia (Medellín) | 2.735 | #141 | Improved dramatically over a decade; Numbeo Safety still low at 38.7/100 |
Europe
GPI 2026 scores for 22 European countries. See how Portugal and Spain compare head-to-head in Portugal vs Spain, or browse every profile in GeoRank's country guides.
Methodology note
The Global Peace Index measures structural peace — ongoing armed conflicts, political instability, militarisation, and homicide rates. It does not directly measure day-to-day personal crime experience (pickpocketing, scams, petty theft), which is closer to what Numbeo's Safety Index (0–100, higher = safer, crowdsourced perception survey) captures.
This means some highly-ranked GPI countries score worse on day-to-day crime perception: Spain is #27 on the GPI (1.654) but only 62.4/100 on Numbeo Safety — tourist-area pickpocketing in Barcelona drags the perception score down. Greece is #53 on the GPI (1.828) and scores 53.8/100 on Numbeo Safety, reflecting scam activity around central Athens. Conversely, Georgia (#94 GPI, 2.066) scores a solid 73.8/100 on Numbeo Safety — Tbilisi feels safe day-to-day, but the GPI is pulled down by the unresolved conflict with Russia over South Ossetia and Abkhazia, not street crime.
Use GPI as a broad structural indicator, not a guide to where your laptop is most likely to be stolen. See methodology for how GeoRank treats index data generally.
Pin any of the 478 cities in GeoRank's dataset and compare GPI-backed safety context against sunshine, cost, and tax side by side.
Common questions
Iceland is the safest country in the world, according to the 2026 Global Peace Index (score 1.161 — lower is safer) — a position it has held for 19 consecutive years. It has virtually no military, a near-zero homicide rate, negligible crime, and no ongoing conflicts. New Zealand (#2), Switzerland (#3), Slovenia (#4), and Ireland (#5) round out the top five.
In order per the 2026 GPI: Iceland (1.161), New Zealand (1.343), Switzerland (1.363), Slovenia (1.369), Ireland (1.371), Austria (1.421), Portugal (1.427), Singapore (1.435), Finland (1.478), and Japan (1.489). Seven of the ten are in Europe; Singapore and Japan are the only Asian entries, New Zealand the only one from Oceania.
The United States ranks #134 of 163 (score 2.535) in the 2026 GPI, so almost any relocation improves on it. Portugal (#7, 1.427), Ireland (#5, 1.371), and Spain (#27, 1.654) are the most common US-expat destinations that also land in the safest third globally. See GeoRank's guide to where US citizens can live for visa routes into each.
The UK ranks #39 of 163 (score 1.730) in the 2026 GPI — already in the safer quarter of countries. Portugal (#7) and Ireland (#5, and visa-free for UK citizens under the Common Travel Area) are the top picks for a meaningful safety upgrade; Spain (#27) is the most popular by volume. See where UK citizens can live for the visa detail.
Yes — Portugal is Europe's safest major expat destination at GPI rank #7 globally (score 1.427). Violent crime is extremely rare; Lisbon and Porto are safer than comparable cities in Spain, France, or Italy. The main crime concerns are petty theft (particularly on Lisbon's trams and in tourist areas) and rental scams. Portugal also has low road accident rates and a stable political environment.
Tbilisi and the main tourist regions are genuinely safe — Numbeo's 2026 Safety Index gives Georgia 73.8/100, well above Spain's 62.4/100. The GPI rank of #94 (score 2.066) reflects Georgia's unresolved territorial disputes with Russia (South Ossetia, Abkhazia) and proximity to conflict zones, not personal crime. Most expats report feeling safer in Tbilisi day-to-day than in Berlin, Paris, or Barcelona.
Portugal is the standout: GPI #7, $2,004/mo in Lisbon (single, incl. rent), 2,781 hr/yr sunshine. Bulgaria (GPI #26, $1,282/mo in Sofia) and Montenegro (GPI #30, $1,180/mo in Podgorica) are safe, affordable, and increasingly popular with remote workers. Georgia (GPI #94, but 73.8/100 on Numbeo Safety) feels safe in practice despite its ranking. Colombia (Medellín) has improved markedly but still carries risk (GPI #141) — not recommended without local knowledge. See GeoRank's cheapest countries ranking for the full cost breakdown.