No country has the least laws, but some places have minimal formal governance; Antarctica is largely ungoverned except for the Antarctic Treaty System for signatories, while some regions in unstable nations like Afghanistan see tribal law dominate, and Bir Tawil (between Egypt/Sudan) is a true "nobody's land" (terra nullius) with no formal country claiming it, thus no national laws. In terms of freedom, countries like Switzerland, New Zealand, and Denmark rank high for personal liberties, suggesting fewer restrictive laws, while nations like North Korea and Yemen have extremely low freedom scores and many restrictive laws.
As it has been since 2019, Switzerland was the freest country in the world, followed by New Zealand (2nd), Denmark (3rd), Luxembourg (4th), Ireland (5th), Finland (6th), Australia, Iceland and Sweden (tied at 7th), and Estonia. Canada was in 11th place and the United States and United Kingdom were tied at 17th.
Iceland consistently ranks as the country with the lowest crime rate and highest level of peacefulness, leading the Global Peace Index for many years due to its strong community, low gun violence (police don't carry guns), and high social welfare, followed by other small, stable European nations like Ireland, Austria, New Zealand, and Switzerland.
The 18 countries with no restrictions are: UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, France, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Republic of Korea, Spain, Sweden and Taiwan.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA, the CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC, EQUATORIAL GUINEA, and ZAMBIA abolished the death penalty for all crimes. ZIMBABWE abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes. PORTUGAL abolished the death penalty for all crimes. DENMARK abolished the death penalty for all crimes.
Australia has been a perennial top ten inhabitant of the safest countries ratings since it launched seven years ago – and in 2026, we're holding strong in second place.
Iceland remains the most peaceful country in the world in 2021, a position it has held since 2008. It is joined at the top of the index by New Zealand, Denmark, Portugal, and Slovenia.
Crime rate by country 2025: 10 countries with the highest crime...
Yemen is the least peaceful country in the world in the 2024 GPI, followed by Sudan, South Sudan, Afghanistan, and Ukraine. This is the first year that Yemen has been ranked as the least peaceful country in the world, with the country having fallen 24 places in the rankings since the inception of the index.
"Denmark is seen as a place that provides for its citizens very well and provides a high quality of life for its residents."
UAE ranks first among the world's most economically stable countries, according to the latest report by US News & World Report. Switzerland, Germany, Canada, and Japan follow in the top five, while Saudi Arabia secures a place in the global top ten.
Top 10 Most Corrupt Countries in 2025
Countries like Singapore are known for strict social laws and high enforcement, and China for government control.
Venezuela Justice System Among The Worst In The World: NGO. Venezuela, El Salvador, and Bolivia have come out at the bottom in an NGO's ranking of criminal justice systems around the world, indicative of the major challenges facing judicial reform in Latin America.
Iceland. Ranked number one since 2008, Iceland remains the world's most peaceful nation, leading across all three domains: safety and security, ongoing conflict and militarisation. It even recorded a 2% improvement this year, widening the gap from the second-place country on the list.
Australia crime rate per 100K population for 2021 was 0.74, a 13.52% decline from 2020. Australia crime rate per 100K population for 2020 was. Australia crime rate per 100K population for 2019 was 0.89, a 0.29% increase from 2018. Australia crime rate per 100K population for 2018 was 0.88, a 4.6% increase from 2017.
Australia ranks as the 2nd safest country in the world for 2026 🇦🇺✨ New global safety findings highlight Australia's strong healthcare system, low crime levels, political stability, and high quality of life.
1. Afghanistan: The Most Dangerous Country for 2025. Afghanistan continues to hold the position as the most dangerous country in the world. Persistent terrorism, rampant political instability, and large-scale displacement have left the nation in a state of severe unrest and a highly dangerous place.
Canberra is officially Australia's #1 safest city, with a crime index rating of 26 out of 100. That places it as the 49th safest city in the world. This ranking comes from Compare the Market Australia, which analysed 6 years of public data from Numbeo's crime index.
Australia's largest terrestrial (land) predator is the Dingo, an apex canine that plays a crucial role in controlling herbivore populations like kangaroos and managing ecosystem health, despite occasional debates about its native status. While saltwater crocodiles are Australia's largest reptiles and apex predators in aquatic environments, the dingo holds the top spot as the biggest land-based carnivore, preying on various mammals, birds, and reptiles, and even scavenging.
Yes Australia and New Zealand both are aligned with the West and will probably be active participants, but their geographic isolation makes any invasion incredibly difficult and any attacks would probably be limited to missile attacks on military facilities, particularly against US interests in those countries.