Travelers may want to factor safety into their 2026 travel plans as tensions and armed conflicts continue to ramp up around the world.
In its 2025 Global Peace Index, published in June, the Institute for Economics & Peace said that “global peacefulness continues to decline” and that more countries are militarizing.
The report ranks the United States 128th out of 163 countries, with Russia ranked as the least peaceful place on Earth last year.
On Jan. 3, the U.S. captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in an armed operation, and Washington is telegraphing the possibility of opening a new front in President Donald Trump’s campaign to acquire Greenland. Meanwhile, the Russia-Ukraine war grinds on, and a tenuous ceasefire between Israel and Hamas seems to be tested all too often.
The index determines a country’s rank using 23 factors, including external conflicts fought, deaths from internal conflict, military expenditure and weapons imports.
Still, many places rank highly for peace and safety, and some of the countries in the top 10 have improved their peacefulness ratings since 2024, according to the institute.
Here’s where you might want to consider going for a peaceful getaway.
10. Finland
9. Slovenia
8. Denmark
7. Portugal
6. Singapore
5. Switzerland
4. Austria
3. New Zealand
2. Ireland
1. Iceland
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.
