This Is the World's Safest Country

Economy

Published: November 19, 2021 8:30 am

Scandinavian nations, especially Norway, often dominate lists of “best countries.” Most recently, it was named in the United Nations’ latest Human Development Index as the top nation based on quality of life. The WHO named it the best country to raise children. RobercoSAM named it the world’s most sustainable country, based on measures that include its environmental policies.

Norway also has extremely high gross domestic product per capita, and its social services are the envy of most other countries in the world. Norway’s oil and gas exports and reserves make it one of the richest nations in the world.

For Gallup’s “2021 Global Law and Order” report, researchers interviewed approximately 150,000 people in 115 countries. Gallup did fieldwork through October of this year. As might be expected, Norway topped the list, and several other Scandinavian countries were not far behind.

The Gallup analysis is divided into four parts:

Confidence people have in their police force
Whether people feel safe walking at night
Whether people have had money or property stolen from them or a household member
Whether people been assaulted in the past 12 months

Norway’s score was 94, which put it at the top of the index. Finland (92) and Iceland (92) were in the top 10. The Netherlands (89), Denmark (89) and Sweden (88) also did extremely well.

The far end of the list is dominated by underdeveloped countries and those with histories of national unrest and violence. Venezuela has a score of 53, which puts at the bottom of the list. The South American nation has been in economic and political turmoil for a decade.

These are the 10 safest nations in the world, along with their Gallup index scores: