Which countries are the safest to visit?
You may have an ideal list of places you want to visit, based on their cuisine, culture, history and sights.
However, to be prudent, you should also factor in safety considerations, in order to minimise the risk of running into trouble while you’re travelling.
With the 2018 Global Law and Order Index report from Gallup, you can find out exactly which countries are safe, and which you should leave off your travel bucket list for the time being.
More than 148,000 people from 142 countries, aged 15 years old or older, were interviewed.
Respondents answered questions that delved into their personal experiences and feelings of safety in the place they lived.
The survey reveals the answers to the following questions:
1) In the city or area where you live, do you have confidence in the local police force?
2) Do you feel safe walking alone at night in the city or the area where you live?
3) Within the last 12 months, have you had money or property stolen from you or another household member?
4) Within the past 12 months, have you been assaulted or mugged?
According to Jon Clifton, global managing partner at Gallup, the survey wanted to address the discrepancy between official statistics and people’s personal experiences.
“The challenge is that in some dangerous societies, people don’t report if they’ve been mugged or assaulted, so the official data may not accurately reflect the security situation on the ground,” he says.
The scores reflect the proportion of the country’s population who indicate that they feel secure.
The higher the number, the more local residents report feeling safe.
The country deemed safest in the world is Singapore, which is known for its low crime rate.
This is followed by Norway, Iceland and Finland, which are all tied at second place.
As for countries you should think twice before visiting: Venezuela, Afghanistan and South Sudan top the “least secure” list.