The Safest vs Riskiest Travel Destinations in 2026

Choosing a travel destination in 2026 is no longer just about the best views or the lowest airfares; it is increasingly about the peace of mind that comes with security.

In an era of shifting geopolitical alliances and changing environmental patterns, data-driven travel planning has moved from a luxury to a necessity.

This report analyzes the latest data from various data sources to rank the world’s safest and riskiest destinations. Whether you are a solo traveler seeking peace of mind or a journalist tracking global trends, this index provides the definitive safety roadmap for 2026.

The Safest Travel Destinations in 2026

The following countries have achieved the highest composite scores across all 5 of our core safety domains.

Notable Observations:

• The “Small State” Advantage: Microstates and small nations like Luxembourg and Andorra occupy the highest spots due to near-zero political violence and high levels of wealth-driven infrastructure.
• The Environmental Drag: You’ll notice Japan and Iceland rank lower than their peace levels suggest because their “Disaster Resilience” scores are lowered by high seismic and volcanic activity, respectively.
• Economic vs. Security: The United States ranks highly in Health and Advisory transparency, but is dragged down by lower scores in Political Stability and Crime compared to its European and Asian peers.

The Riskiest Travel Destinations in 2026

This section identifies destinations currently facing significant security, health, or environmental challenges. It is important to note that these rankings assess travel risk—the likelihood of an individual encountering danger—and are not a reflection of a nation’s cultural heritage or the hospitality of its people.

Notable Observations:

• The Collapse of the “Safety Net”: Across these 5 nations, the collapse of essential services—police, healthcare, and emergency response—leaves travelers without a safety net in a crisis.
• Conflict-Driven Volatility: Most of these countries are currently experiencing active armed conflict or severe civil unrest. This makes safety unpredictable, as secure zones can become high-risk areas within hours.
• Infrastructure and Humanitarian Crises: In nations like Yemen and South Sudan, the risk is compounded by a lack of essential services—clean water, power, and telecommunications—vital for survival and emergency communication.

How the Global Safety Index Works

The following sources were used to build the index, with each contributing a 20% weighting to the final safety score:

• Crime & Safety Levels: Data was sourced from the Numbeo Crime Index and OECD Safety Statistics. These metrics measure violent crime, theft, and public perceptions of safety.
• Political Stability & Social Unrest: Scores were incorporated from the Global Peace Index (GPI) and the World Bank Governance Indicators. These evaluate the likelihood of political violence and the state of peace across 163 countries.
• Natural Disaster Vulnerability: Vulnerability data for events like earthquakes, hurricanes, and floods was pulled from the INFORM Risk Index and the WorldRiskIndex.
• Health System Quality: Capacity and emergency response data were derived from WHO Health System data, and Statista aggregated health indices.
• Official Travel Advisories: Real-time safety perspectives were averaged from official government levels, including the US State Department and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).

Key Insights & Trends for 2026

Pull out notable patterns, regions becoming safer, areas seeing rising risk, surprising entries, etc.

• The Rise of the Caucasus: Armenia has emerged as a “Surprise Safety Star” for 2026. Its recent focus on community policing and nightlife safety has seen it break into the global top 10 for personal security.
• The “Peace Gap”: The data shows a widening gap between the most and least peaceful nations. While Europe remains the safest region overall, internal social tensions in major hubs have caused slight declines in “social cohesion” scores for some Western nations.
• Climate Security: For the first time, natural disaster preparedness has become a primary driver of safety rankings in the Caribbean and Southeast Asia, as travelers prioritize destinations with modern storm-resilient infrastructure.

Advice for Travelers in 2026

Regardless of a country’s rank, personal safety is an active process. Here is how to protect yourself in 2026:

• Monitor Real-Time Data: Safety is dynamic. Use apps that provide real-time alerts for public demonstrations or weather events.
• Prioritize Health Security: If traveling to a “Medium Risk” destination, ensure your travel insurance specifically covers medevac services and private hospital stays.
• Choose Vetted Transit: In cities with higher theft rates, utilize reputable booking platforms like Travala to ensure your accommodation and transport are located in secure, well-lit districts.
• Stay Informed, Not Afraid: High-risk ratings often apply to specific regions (e.g., border zones). Always check the specific district-level advice and news on Google to stay informed.

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Methodology Summary

The results in this report were calculated by standardizing 10+ indicators from various sources onto a 0–100 scale. Countries with incomplete data across more than two categories were excluded to maintain the index’s integrity.

Weighting the Domains

To calculate the final Composite Safety Score, we apply an equal weighting of 20% to each of our five core pillars. This prevents any single outlier—such as a specific geopolitical event—from unfairly skewing a country’s overall ranking.

The Composite Equation

{Total Safety Score} = (C x 0.20) + (P x 0.20) + (N x 0.20) + (H x 0.20) + (A x 0.20)

Breakdown of the rankings

Rank, Country, Crime & Safety (20%), Political Stability (20%), Health Quality (20%), Disaster Resilience (20%), Travel Advisory Level (20%), Total Safety Score

1. Luxembourg,97,98,96,88,100,95.8
2. Switzerland,97,98,99,85,95,94.8
3. Australia,94,91,98,88,100,94.2
4. Finland,96,98,94,88,95,94.2
5. Andorra,99,99,88,85,100,94.2
6. Netherlands,96,93,95,90,95,93.8
7. Singapore,99,98,100,82,90,93.8
8. Norway,97,99,96,82,95,93.8
9. Denmark,95,94,95,89,95,92.8
10. Iceland,98,99,92,72,100,92.2
11. Austria,96,94,94,86,90,92.0
12. Canada,90,92,93,85,100,92.0
13. Ireland,94,95,92,88,90,91.8
14. New Zealand,95,96,90,75,100,91.2
15. Malta,92,90,94,84,95,91.0
16. United Arab Emirates,98,85,88,92,90,90.6
17. Slovenia,94,95,85,84,95,90.6
18. Estonia,94,92,84,88,95,90.6
19. Qatar,98,88,90,92,85,90.6
20. Japan,98,97,97,60,100,90.4
21. Portugal,92,93,84,86,95,90.0
22. Czech Republic,92,90,86,85,95,89.6
23. Sweden,86,92,95,88,85,89.2
24. Germany,85,84,95,86,90,88.0
25. Oman,95,88,82,88,85,87.6
26. Croatia,91,88,82,82,95,87.6
27. Uruguay,84,90,80,88,95,87.4
28. Spain,88,86,90,82,90,87.2
29. South Korea,96,80,98,72,90,87.2
30. Mauritius,90,91,78,80,95,86.8
31. Poland,88,82,84,88,90,86.4
32. Cyprus,92,84,82,84,90,86.4
33. Belgium,82,82,94,88,85,86.2
34. United Kingdom,80,78,92,88,90,85.6
35. Taiwan,96,82,94,62,90,84.8
36. Italy,82,80,92,75,90,83.8
37. France,78,75,94,86,85,83.6
38. Botswana,85,88,72,82,90,83.4
39. Greece,84,82,85,74,90,83.0
40. Costa Rica,82,88,85,68,90,82.6
41. Malaysia,82,84,84,72,90,82.4
42. Mongolia,90,85,65,72,95,81.4
43. Vietnam,88,82,75,68,90,80.6
44. Jordan,88,75,80,88,70,80.2
45. Armenia,92,70,75,72,90,79.8
46. Panama,78,82,78,74,85,79.4
47. Chile,78,82,82,58,90,78.0
48. Thailand,80,72,88,65,85,78.0
49. Georgia,88,68,72,76,85,77.8
50. United States,68,65,92,72,90,77.4

… (Bottom Rankings) …

154. Russia,62,22,78,72,10,48.8
155. Iran,65,25,68,65,15,47.6
156. Ukraine,68,15,72,65,10,46.0
157. Myanmar,42,18,35,45,10,30.0
158. Syria,38,15,28,62,5,29.6
159. Afghanistan,32,12,22,58,0,24.8
160. South Sudan,25,10,18,55,5,22.6
161. Haiti,18,12,25,48,5,21.6
162. Yemen,22,5,15,58,0,20.0
163. Sudan,20,8,15,52,0,19.0