Travel insurance company Berkshire Hathaway released its latest ‘safest destinations’ list. Following are the top 10 safest countries to travel to next year.
How was this list compiled?
Safety is a priority for many travellers. Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection began surveying travellers on their attitudes towards safety nine years ago, and, in 2018, began pulling together lists of the world’s safest places.
The company’s head of marketing, Carol Mueller, stated that ‘after years of conducting this research, patterns have emerged, and certain countries have become mainstays in the top 10 Safest Destinations’.
For its most recent list of safest countries, the company surveyed 1 838 travellers and took into account data from third-party sources to evaluate safety concerns such as terrorism, weather emergencies, health measures, and the safety of underrepresented groups.
In addition, the company reviewed information from the US State Department, the British financial magazine The Economist, safety-app creator GeoSure Global, Vision of Humanity, Numbeo, and Global Finance magazine. Past rankings were also considered.
Top 10 safest destinations
Europe, in general, has performed exceptionally well in terms of safety for travellers.
Here are the 10 safest countries to travel to in 2025, according to Berkshire Hathaway’s latest report:
1. Iceland
2. Australia
3. Canada
4. Ireland
5. Switzerland
6. New Zealand
7. Germany
8. Norway
9. Japan
10. Denmark
Markedly, Iceland moved up from the 9th position on the list for 2024, when Canada held the top spot.
It is important to note that this is an indication and circumstances may change. Thus, travellers should research countries at the time of travelling.
Also, some countries have higher risks of natural disasters. For example, Iceland is a volcanic island, so the risk exists of volcanic eruptions.
Animals could also be challenges. For example, bears and rubber-legged moose haunt the middle stretches of the trans-Canada highway. Also, elk are found farther west and caribou farther north, wolves and white-tailed deer are common.
As far as cities are concerned, the data showed that Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland and the country’s largest city, Copenhagen, and Amsterdam lead the list for the world’s safest cities.
Have you visited any of these countries?
Are you planning on travelling overseas soon?
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