Governments are issuing an increasing number of travel advisories as global conflicts intensify, making many previously desired destinations appear unsafe.
If you are planning a trip and wish to prioritize safety, this newly available data can help guide your decisions.
The Global Peace Index, the most comprehensive annual ranking of peacefulness for 163 countries, has released its 2026 top ten list.
From a volcanic island without a standing army to an Asian city‑state that has consistently topped safety rankings, here are the ten most peaceful countries worldwide today.
Is travel getting more dangerous?
The 2026 Global Peace Index (GPI) indicates that worldwide peacefulness continues to decline, driven primarily by armed conflict.
There are now more active state‑based conflicts than at any time since the end of World War II, and the number of countries engaged in external conflicts has nearly doubled since 2008.
The civil war in Sudan, the protracted conflict in Ukraine, and the brief but consequential Twelve‑Day War involving Israel, the United States, and Iran have rendered the international environment increasingly fragile and militarised than at any point since the Index began.
It should be noted that this year’s Index only partially reflects the impact of the 2026 Iran War, as many conflict indicators ended at the close of 2025.
Consequently, governments have added even more countries to their travel advisories this year.
For example, the United Kingdom lists 76 of its 226 foreign travel advisory pages as no‑go zones because of security threats and health concerns.
This is the 20th edition of the GPI, which ranks 163 independent states and territories by their level of peacefulness, covering 99.7 % of the world’s population.
It employs 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators to assess peace across three domains: societal safety and security, the extent of ongoing domestic and international conflict, and the degree of militarisation.
This year’s results show that global peacefulness declined by an average of 0.7 % compared with the previous year.
Of the 163 countries on the Index, 99 experienced a decline in peacefulness while 62 improved; 119 countries are now less peaceful than they were in 2008.
Where is it safest to travel to in 2026?
The GPI serves as a useful barometer of a country’s overall stability. However, it provides limited insight into day‑to‑day visitor experiences and does not track destination‑specific risks such as petty crime hotspots, road safety, or natural hazards, according to Steve Killelea, founder of the Institute for Economics & Peace and creator of the GPI.
Iceland has remained the world’s most peaceful country for 19 consecutive years. It maintains no standing military, enjoys extremely low crime rates, and benefits from high social trust; the data describes it as peaceful by a significant margin.
In 2026, New Zealand moved up one place to rank second globally and records the lowest ongoing conflict score among Asia‑Pacific nations.
Switzerland ranks third worldwide, while Slovenia rose two places to fourth, quietly establishing itself as one of Europe’s most peaceful destinations. Ireland holds the fifth position globally, recognized for its warm, welcoming character and consistent peacefulness.
Russia is the least peaceful country, and Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ukraine, and Israel round out the bottom five.
Western and Central Europe remain the most peaceful regions, whereas the Middle East and North Africa are the least peaceful.
The Eastern Europe and Central Asia region was the only of the eight GPI regions to improve on average over the past year, while South Asia experienced the largest regional deterioration, driven by declines in peacefulness in Nepal and Pakistan.
Poland recorded the largest country‑level improvement, with its overall score rising by 9.1 % and the nation advancing 23 places to 22nd globally, propelled by a 17.5 % improvement in the ongoing conflict domain.
Gabon, Lesotho, Ukraine, and Türkiye posted the next largest improvements, the latter reflecting a sustained peace process between the Turkish government and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party.
Nepal recorded the largest deterioration, with its overall score falling by 9.1 % after the Gen Z protests in September 2025, followed by Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Pakistan, and Tanzania.
The United States declined by four percent, largely due to increased political instability, which itself worsened by 38.5 %. Violent demonstrations also surged, and the country now ranks 134th on the GPI.
Travellers should note that the GPI measures national peacefulness, not specific visitor risk.
“It is an excellent guide to a country’s overall stability, but travellers should still consult official foreign‑office advisories and destination‑specific guidance for practical, on‑the‑ground planning,” Killelea urges.