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Źródło: https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20260609-what-its-like-to-live-in-the-worlds-safest-countries-for-2026

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What it's like to live in the world's safest countries for 2026

What it's like to live in the world's safest countries for 2026

There are now more active conflictskonflikty zbrojne than at any point since World War Two. Residentsmieszkańcy in Iceland, New Zealand and elsewhere explain the qualities that make their nations so peaceful.

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The world has become less peaceful than it was last year, according to the latest Global Peace Index. Overall peacefulnesspokojowość deterioratedpogorszył się in 99 countries, marking the 12th consecutivekolejny year of global decline. Yet amidpośród the worseningpogarszający się picture, a small group of nations continues to stand apartwyróżniać się.

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"Even though we had this catastrophickatastrofalny drop, it hasn't really affected the countries at the top," said Steve Killelea, founder and executive chairmanprezes wykonawczy of the Institute for Economics & Peace, which created the index in 2007.

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The index ranks 163 nations across 23 indicatorswskaźniki, from military expenditurewydatki wojskowe and ongoingtrwający conflict to homicide rateswskaźniki zabójstw and perceptionspostrzeganie of safety. The places that perform best typically combine low levels of violence with well-functioning institutionssprawnie działające instytucje, high social trust, good relations with neighbours and a high quality of lifejakość życia.

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We spoke to residents in the world's five safest countries to learn what that security feels day to day, what helps sustainutrzymywać it – and how travellers can experience a taste ofprzedsmak the calm and stability too.

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Iceland has toppedzajmowała pierwsze miejsce w the index since 2008 and remains the world's safest country for the 19th consecutivez rzędu year. It improved by 2% in 2026, helped by a sharp drop in violent demonstrationsgwałtowne demonstracje, and continues to rank highly for safety, low levels of conflict and limited militarisationmilitaryzacja.

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"Peacefulnesspokojowość is all around us in Iceland in the nature that surrounds us, but it is also a consciousświadomy choice rootedzakorzeniony in our close-knit communitieszżyte społeczności," said Oddný Arnarsdóttir, head of Visit Iceland. She creditsprzypisuje a deep commitment to equality – including gender parityrówność płci, where Iceland consistently ranks among the world's leaders – alongside strong public services and widespreadpowszechny renewable energyenergia odnawialna.

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That commitment runs deeper than policywykracza poza kwestie polityki, with residents pointing to a strong sense of social cohesionspójność and shared responsibility. "We are very aware of how fortunate we are to experience this sense of peacefulnesspoczucie spokoju," said Arnarsdóttir. "It reinforceswzmacnia the importance of maintaining an open and inclusive society."

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Its remoteodległy location plays a role too. "Iceland's geographicgeograficzny isolationizolacja means it's less caught up inuwikłany w global tensionsnapięcia," said Eyrún Aníta Gylfadóttir, marketing manager at Hotel Rangá. "The vastrozległy open landscapes, dramaticimponujący mountains, clean air and abundantobfity fresh water play a central roleodgrywać kluczową rolę in quality of lifejakość życia here."

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To experience Iceland's calmer pace, Arnarsdóttir recommends slowing downzwolnić tempo and spending time outdoors, rather than racing between attractions. Experiencing the country's bathing culturekultura kąpieli should be high on the listwysoko na liście. Iceland is home to more than 120 geothermalgeotermalny pools, from luxury spas to neighbourhood swimming pools where locals gather year-roundprzez cały rok. "Experiencing Iceland's calm is closely linked to wellbeingdobrostan," said Arnarsdóttir. "Whether through geothermalgeotermalny bathing culturekultura kąpieli, time spent in nature or simply having the space to disconnectodciąć się od codzienności."

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Visitors should also make sure they venture beyondzapuścić się poza the country's best-known attractions. Arnarsdóttir points to the more than 220 museums scattered across Iceland, including the capital's National Museum and the Icelandic Sea Monster Museum in the Westfjords. "I love our quirkynietypowe museums," she said. "These spaces help share local stories and traditions, while also encouraging people to travel more widely and experience different parts of Iceland."

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Ranked second (up from third in 2025), New Zealand is the safest country in the Asia-Pacific region, with the region's lowest ongoing-conflicttrwający konflikt score. Its improvement came largely from a fall in weapons importsimport broni, and it remains one of the world's safest and least militarisedzmilitaryzowany nations. 

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Much of that peace comes down tosprowadza się do geography. "Being this far from everywhere means New Zealand has largely avoided the geopoliticalgeopolityczny mess that drags other nations into conflictwciąga inne państwa w konflikt," said Warwick Woodley, a New Zealand citizen and founder of NZ Golden Visa. But he sees something in the culture too. People tend to be relaxed and straightforwardbezpośredni, he said, "generally more interested in getting on with thingszajmowanie się swoimi sprawami than stirring the potwywoływanie niepotrzebnego zamieszania". 

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Safety here is so ordinary that it rarely registerszostaje zauważone; dociera do świadomości. "Most people don't think about it much, which is probably the best indicator that it's generally not a concern," Woodley said. "Guns aren't part of everyday life here, and after Christchurch, the laws got even tighter." Neighbourhoods still function as neighbourhoods, he added, where people know each other and look out for one anothertroszczyć się o siebie nawzajem. "That sense of accountabilityodpowiedzialność goes a long wayma duże znaczenie in a country of five million, where anonymityanonimowość is harder to come byzdobyć; znaleźć." 

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Its sparserzadko zaludniony population also means easy access to nature. "Mountains, beaches and bush walkswędrówki po buszu are all within reachw zasięgu ręki depending on where you are," said Woodley. "Life doesn't feel like it's constantly running awaywymykać się spod kontroli from you the way it does in some of the bigger, busier countries."

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Rising from fifth place last year to third in 2026, Switzerland combines low crime rates with a longstandingdługotrwały policy of military neutralityneutralność, helping it remain one of the world's safest countries.  

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"People seem willing to make room forzrobić miejsce dla; znaleźć przestrzeń dla one another here," said Cornelia Choe, an executive coach and author who lives in Geneva. "That creates a sense of trust, a confidence that people will generally do the right thing and that everyday life works largely as it should."

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That trust often reveals itself in daily transactionstransakcje. Choe recalls losing her wallet twice in Switzerland. The first time, a stranger mailed it backodesłał go pocztą within days with the cash still inside. Years later, after she dropped her credit card at a train station, the person who found it contacted her bank directly to cancel the card to protect her from fraudoszustwo. "Those are small moments, but they leave a lasting impressionwywrzeć trwałe wrażenie and create a feeling of security that's pricelessbezcenny," she said.

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To appreciate the sense of peace here, visitors should embraceprzyjąć Switzerland's strong work-life balancerównowaga między pracą a życiem prywatnym. Many businesses close for two hours at midday, for instance. It is also worth appreciating the nation's four national languages and distinctodrębny regional identitiestożsamości regionalne. "Societies don't have to agree on everything to become stronger," said Choe. "I've observed a normnorma of reaching for compromiseskompromisy and practical solutions that allow people to move forwardiść naprzód together. Perhaps that's what peace ultimatelyostatecznie is: not the absencebrak of differences, but a shared commitmentzaangażowanie to finding ways to live well with them."

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Making its way intopo raz pierwszy dostać się do the index's top five for the first time, Slovenia's strong performance is underpinnedopiera się na by low military spending and high levels of safety and security.

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"Slovenians place great importance on community and spend a lot of time in nature, which I believe creates a calmnessspokój and steadinessrównowaga in us," said Jerneja Zver, who lives in Ljubljana and manages operations in Eastern Europe for Intrepid Travel. Zver says she spends most weekends outside, hiking, cycling, skiing or gathering with friends and family. A strong cultural emphasisnacisk on work-life balancerównowaga między pracą a życiem prywatnym, she said, leaves more room for the relationships that fostersprzyjać a sense of belongingpoczucie przynależności. 

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"With conflict and uncertaintyniepewność affecting many parts of the world right now, I do feel very lucky to call Slovenia homenazywać Słowenię swoim domem," Zver said. "I appreciate the smaller things that I might once have taken for granteduznawać za coś oczywistego, knowing that I can go aboutprowadzić (życie) my daily life in safety and without fear." 

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To appreciate all the country has to offer, Zver suggests spending more than a weekend trip to Ljubljana. "Come and spend a week," she said. That might include whitewater raftingrafting na bystrych rzekach on the Soča River, visiting the waterfalls of Vintgar Gorge near Bled or cycling through the country's mountain pasturesgórskie pastwiska. "Whatever you do in Slovenia, you'll be blown awayzachwycony by the warm hospitalitygościnność of the people, the stunning landscapes and nature," said Zver. "And of course, great food."

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Ranked fifth, Ireland scores highly for its low levels of violence and limited involvementzaangażowanie in international conflict.

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For a country shaped by its turbulentburzliwy past, that sense of safety is not taken for granteduważany za coś oczywistego. "Ireland's historical experience as a nation makes its people acutelybardzo mocno aware of the perilsniebezpieczeństwa of prejudiceuprzedzenie and the importance of being generous and welcoming to others," said Didi Ronan, founder of regenerativeregeneracyjny hotel Native in West Cork. 

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Ronan traces that culture of hospitalitygościnność back to the Brehonbrehoński laws, which governedregulowały Ireland for much of the first millenniumpierwsze tysiąclecie and mandatednakazywały food and shelterżywność i schronienie for strangers and travellers. "It's in our DNA," she said. 

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Ireland's tradition of neutralityneutralność gives that sense of peace an international dimension, as the country does not join foreign wars or military alliances. "In a time of global volatilityniestabilność and uncertainty there is something soothingkojący about being on a far-out rockodległa, skalista wyspa in the Atlantic, with great music and walks and books," said Ronan.

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"We appreciate this privilegeprzywilej in view ofw obliczu the great suffering and injusticeniesprawiedliwość experienced by so many people in the world today that echoesprzypomina our own national experience."

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For visitors, the fastest route into Ireland's peaceful side is through nature, whether that's through a woodlandleśny walk or a coastalnadmorski adventure. Ronan recommends taking the ferry to Cape Clear Island, exploring the medievalśredniowieczny ruinsruiny of Three Castle Head or visiting the Drombeg stone circlekamienny krąg near Glandore.

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