Australia consistently ranks as one of the world's safest countries, often placing 2nd overall in travel safety indices by Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection (BHTP) for 2026, just behind the Netherlands, and scores well in other global peace metrics like the Global Peace Index (GPI), highlighting its low crime, strong health systems, and political stability, though its specific GPI ranking can vary (e.g., 18th in 2025).
In the safest countries ratings, Australia scored the highest marks for health measures and is near the top for safety from terrorism. It also ranked fourth for both transport and for the perceived safety from women, LGBTQIA+ travellers and people of colour.
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.
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 is the runner-up for the world's most desirable country to move to in 2025. Moving across the country is one of the biggest life decisions you'll ever make – but picking where exactly to settle down can be even trickier.
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.
The most significantly underreported crime in Australia is sexual assault and sexual violence, with surveys indicating millions of incidents occur that are never reported to police, far exceeding official statistics. Other highly underreported crimes often include domestic violence, financial abuse, and child sexual abuse (though not detailed here, it shares similar reporting barriers).
Crime rate by country 2025: 10 countries with the highest crime...
For the fifth consecutive year, Afghanistan is the least peaceful country, followed by Yemen, Syria, Russia and South Sudan.
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.
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.
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.
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).
Safety and quality of life are essential factors to consider when choosing between Australia and New Zealand. Both countries have low crime rates and high quality of life, with Australia ranked as one of the safest countries in the world, while New Zealand is considered one of the most peaceful countries.
Domestic violence is especially worrying, accounting for about 6,415 incidents per 100,000 people, reflecting some deeper social issues that urgently need addressing. Property offences make up the bulk of the reported crimes, reaching around 27,410 incidents per 100,000 residents.
The 'Somerton Man' is the case of an unidentified man found dead on Somerton Beach near Adelaide on 1 December 1948. The mystery also became known the 'Tamam Shud case' and, to this day, the man's identity and the truth about how he met his fate are still unknown.
Canberra consistently ranks as Australia's safest city with the lowest crime rate, often cited as having low violent and property crime, followed closely by Adelaide and Hobart, according to various 2024-2025 analyses using data from sources like Numbeo, highlighting its high safety index and liveability.
Mungallala Methodist Church was built in 1964. It has now closed. In 2016, the Australian Taxation Office listed Mungallala as having the lowest mean taxable income by postcode, making it the poorest town in Australia, which led the ABC to do a documentary on the town for their online "storyhunters" program.
Over half of homicide and related offences occurred at a residential location (60% or 268 victims). Nearly two-fifths (39%) were family and domestic violence (FDV) related (175 victims).
Not only did Canberra top the global list, but it also ranked as the highest Australian city across four of the six core quality-of-life indicators: income per person, income equality, housing expenditure and life expectancy. Discover more about what makes Canberra stand out.
Dangerous wildlife. Various dangerous animals go hand in hand with Australia's diverse landscapes and warm climate. Although you might never come across them, the country is home to numerous venomous spiders, snakes and marine creatures.
It's official! Adelaide is the happiest city in Australia, and one of the happiest in the world! 🙌 We ranked #29 globally in the Happy City Index across six categories - environment, economy, mobility, citizen wellbeing, health and governance.
Yes, $100k (AUD) is generally a very good salary in Australia, placing you above the median income and offering financial stability, though it's becoming tighter in expensive cities like Sydney due to high living costs and housing prices, making lifestyle comfort dependent on location and dependents. While it's a strong income, it's closer to the median ($90k) than the high-earning average ($108k), meaning it provides comfort but not necessarily luxury, especially with rising costs.