Australia consistently ranks as one of the world's safest countries, often placing 2nd globally for travel safety in 2026 according to Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection (behind the Netherlands), while U.S. News & World Report placed it 9th in 2024 for overall safety. These rankings highlight Australia's low crime rates, strong healthcare, stable government, and robust emergency systems, making it a highly secure destination despite its unique wildlife, say sources like Time Out.
Australia is the world's 2nd safest country to travel in 2026. The best things in life are free.
Iceland, Ireland, New Zealand, Austria, and Switzerland consistently rank as the top 5 safest countries globally, according to recent Global Peace Index (GPI) reports for 2025, followed by Singapore, Portugal, Denmark, Slovenia, and Finland, known for low crime, stability, and strong social systems, though rankings can vary slightly by source.
Iceland is consistently ranked as the #1 safest country in the world by the Global Peace Index (GPI), a position it has held for over a decade due to extremely low crime, no standing army, high social cohesion, and minimal conflict, though some other reports might place Switzerland or the Netherlands first based on different survey criteria.
Crime levels
Australia reported 46.01 crimes per 100,000 citizens. Australia is ranked 69th out of 164 countries when it comes to crime in general while Canada did better with only 39.03 crimes per 100,000 and ranking 80th.
Homicide rate: Australia's homicide rate hovers around 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to the U.S. rate of approximately 6 per 100,000. Property crime: Both countries experience property crime, but Australia's rates are generally lower, and violent property crimes (like armed burglary) are less common.
Crime rate by country 2025: 10 countries with the highest crime...
The 2024 GPI indicates Iceland, Ireland, Austria, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, Portugal, Denmark, Slovenia, Malaysia and Canada to be the most peaceful countries, while Yemen, Sudan, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Congo, Russia, Syria, Israel and Mali to be the least peaceful.
Singapore ranks as safest country in the world to walk alone at night.
Iceland, New Zealand, and Ireland again lead with the world's lowest crime rates in 2025. Countries like Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, and Singapore follow closely, powered by strong laws and social trust. Know more below about what makes these nations so safe.
Iceland remains the most peaceful country in the world in 2021, a position it has held since 2008.
Level 4: Do Not Travel
Denmark. Denmark is at the top of the list of the top ten countries for quality of life. This small Nordic country consistently ranks highly in international surveys on factors like happiness, income equality, safety, and access to education.
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.
According to Credit Suisse's Global Wealth Report, the average wealth of Australian households was $628,000 per adult in 2020, the fourth highest in the world behind Switzerland, the United States and Hong Kong (North America as shown on the graph refers to the region, as does Asia-Pacific and Europe).
1. Which city in Australia has the highest crime rate? Rockhampton has the highest crime rate in Australia, with 132 per 1000 people. Some of the sources have also pointed to Alice Springs as the city with the highest crime rate.
Iceland is consistently ranked as the #1 safest country in the world by the Global Peace Index (GPI), a position it has held for over a decade due to extremely low crime, no standing army, high social cohesion, and minimal conflict, though some other reports might place Switzerland or the Netherlands first based on different survey criteria.
The most affordable countries among the safest in the world are Latvia, Chile, Costa Rica, Slovakia, and Lithuania. The cost of living in these states varies from $1,000 to $1,100 per month.
1. Venezuela Venezuela has a crime index of 82.1, the highest of any country in the world.
The State Department gives Australia its best level-1 rating (“exercise normal precautions”), while Numbeo lists Australia as the 82nd-safest country in the world out of 142.
1. Memphis. Memphis has one of the highest crime rates in the country at 2,437 per 100,000 people, with assault leading the list. The city has addressed these issues through targeted policing and community engagement initiatives.
Crime statistics. Scholars have found that some racial and ethnic minorities, particularly African-Americans, are disproportionately represented in the arrest and victimization reports which are used to compile crime rate statistics in the United States.