These Are The World’s Safest (And Least Safe) Countries

Despite rising conflict around the world, 73% of people worldwide feel safe walking alone at night in their country.

Going further, this marks the highest share in nearly two decades. In 2006, for instance, global perceptions of safety stood at 63%, a figure that has steadily risen over the years.

This graphic, via Visual Capitalist’s Dorothy Neufeld, shows the world’s safest and least safe countries, based on Gallup’s Global Safety Report 2025.

The Top 10 Safest and Least Safe Countries

Below we show the global safety rankings, based on the share of residents who feel safe walking home alone at night:

Singapore has the highest perceptions of safety in the world, supported by low crime rates and a high degree of law and order.

In fact, the country achieved one of the highest scores ever recorded, with 98% of the population feeling safe, including 97% of women. By contrast, the U.S. has a 26 percentage point gender gap, with just 58% of women feeling safe by this measure.

Interestingly, many countries in Asia and the Middle East rank highly in perceptions of safety, with Tajikistan, China, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE all standing in the top 10. Norway, in eighth, is the only European country on this list.

South Africa, meanwhile, ranks as the least safe country in the world. Often, citizens face the risk of robbery or assault, given a highly ineffective policing system and the country’s history of violence. In Latin America, Chile has the lowest perceptions of safety, closely followed by Ecuador.

To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on America’s most dangerous cities, according to citizens.