At first glance, the Institute for Economics and Peace’s 2023 safety perceptions results are puzzling. Citizens of 121 countries answered safety-related questions about their home country. The outcome? Russia and Germany tied for 48th place.
Collecting the Data
The Institute for Economics and Peace(IEP) based its data on the Lloyd’s Register Foundation’s World Risk Poll, administered by Gallup. The Safety Perceptions Index (SPI) asked participants to comment on their worries and any recent experiences they’ve had in the following five areas:
- Food and water
- Violent crime
- Severe weather
- Mental health
- Workplace safety
Not All Countries Made the Cut
Poll participants had to answer 12 questions. Given that there are 195 countries, the results would have looked different had the IEP polled individuals from every corner of the globe.
The Russia and Germany Connection
The IEP acknowledges that Russia and Eurasia normally don’t rank well against certain other world regions for security and development. However, Germany and Russia excelled in having low rates of reported experience of harm, causing these countries to rank equally.
Where Does the U.S. Rank?
The IEP paints a grave picture of America’s safety, ranking the United States at place 43 out of 121.
Countries Safer Than the U.S.
Forty-two countries ranked safer than the United States, some of which are shocking. El Salvador, Pakistan, and China are perceived as safer than the U.S. based on citizens’ responses to the poll.
There’s a Caveat
If you were to ask the public whether the U.S. or a country like El Salvador is more dangerous, chances are most would say El Salvador. The U.S. Department of State even issued a reconsider travel advisory for Americans, supporting this perception. Participants weren’t asked to rank the countries directly to, in part, prevent biases.
Making Things Fair
The IEP compiled the SPI scores based on unweighted averages. So, the results within each category in high-population countries counted equally to those in low-population countries.
Uncertainty and Doubt
The IEP noted a significant increase in general feelings of fear and lack of safety across the globe. Participants primarily reported generalized fear. Many stated they were uncertain where the potential threats could come from but were fearful nonetheless.
Perceived Safety Risk Ranked
Can you guess the countries with the most dangerous perceived risk? Below are their rankings, from the safest to most dangerous.
1. Uzbekistan
Population: Approximately 35 million.
2. United Arab Emirates
Population: Approximately 9.4 million.
3. Saudi Arabia
Population: Approximately 36 million.
4. Norway
Population: Approximately 5.4 million.
5. Estonia
Population: Approximately 1.3 million.
6. Singapore
Population: Approximately 5.5 million.
7. Iceland
Population: Approximately 372,520.
8. Sweden
Population: Approximately 10.4 million.
9. China
Population: Approximately 1.4 billion.
10. Denmark
Population: Approximately 5.9 million.
11. Lithuania
Population: Approximately 2.8 million.
12. Hungary
Population: Approximately 9.7 million.
13. Armenia
Population: Approximately 2.8 million.
14. Kazakhstan
Population: Approximately 19 million.
15. Taiwan
Population: Approximately 23.6 million.
16. Czech Republic
Population: Approximately 10.5 million.
17. Tajikistan
Population: Approximately 9.8 million.
18. Belgium
Population: Approximately 11.6 million.
19. Latvia
Population: Approximately 1.9 million.
20. Hong Kong
Population: Approximately 7.4 million.
21. Georgia
Population: Approximately 10.8 million.
22. Japan
Population: Approximately 125.7 million.
23. Israel
Population: Approximately 9.4 million.
24. United Kingdom
Population: Approximately 67.3 million.
25. Jordan
Population: Approximately 11.1 million.
26. Kyrgyz Republic
Population: Approximately 6.7 million.
27. Netherlands
Population: Approximately 17.5 million.
28. Romania
Population: Approximately 19.1 million.
29. Australia
Population: Approximately 25.7 million.
30. Pakistan
Population: Approximately 231.4 million.
31. Ireland
Population: Approximately 5.0 million.
32. Egypt
Population: Approximately 109.3 million.
33. Canada
Population: Approximately 38.3 million.
34. New Zealand
Population: Approximately 5.1 million.
35. Malta
Population: Approximately 518,540.
36. Finland
Population: Approximately 5.5 million.
37. Croatia
Population: Approximately 3.9 million.
38. Thailand
Population: Approximately 71.6 million.
39. El Salvador
Population: Approximately 6.3 million.
40. Albania
Population: Approximately 2.8 million.
41. Slovenia
Population: Approximately 2.1 million.
42. Switzerland
Population: Approximately 8.7 million.
43. United States
Population: Approximately 331 million.
44. Kosovo
Population: Approximately 1.9 million.
45. Paraguay (Tied With Serbia)
Population: Approximately 6.7 million.
46. Serbia
Population: Approximately 6.8 million.
47. Bulgaria
Population: Approximately 6.9 million.
48. Germany (Tied With Russia)
Population: Approximately 83.2 million.
49. Russia
Population: Approximately 143.4 million.
50. South Korea (Tied With Slovakia)
Population: Approximately 51.7 million.
51. Slovakia
Population: Approximately 5.4 million.
52. France (Tied With Cyprus)
Population: Approximately 67.8 million.
53. Cyprus
Population: Approximately 1.2 million.
54. Nicaragua
Population: Approximately 6.9 million.
55. Laos (Tied With Lebanon)
Population: Approximately 7.4 million.
56. Lebanon
Population: Approximately 5.6 million.
57. Sri Lanka
Population: Approximately 22 million.
58. Uruguay
Population: Approximately 3.4 million.
59. Austria
Population: Approximately 9 million.
60. Panama
Population: Approximately 4.4 million.
61. Algeria
Population: Approximately 44 million.
62. Bosnia and Herzegovina
Population: Approximately 3.3 million.
63. Poland
Population: Approximately 37.8 million.
64. North Macedonia
Population: Approximately 2 million.
65. Ukraine
Population: Approximately 43.8 million.
66. Tunisia
Population: Approximately 12.26 million.
67. Malaysia
Population: Approximately 33.6 million.
68. Mongolia
Population: Approximately 3.3 million.
69. Moldova
Population: Approximately 2.6 million.
70. Spain
Population: Approximately 47.4 million.
71. Vietnam (Tied With Myanmar)
Population: Approximately 97.47 million.
72. Myanmar
Population: Approximately 53.8 million.
73. Costa Rica (Tied With Nepal)
Population: Approximately 5.1 million.
74. Nepal
Population: Approximately 30 million.
75. Iran
Population: Approximately 87.9 million.
76. Honduras
Population: Approximately 10.3 million.
77. Italy
Population: Approximately 59 million.
78. Chile
Population: Approximately 19.5 million.
79. Bangladesh
Population: Approximately 169.4 million.
80. Argentina (Tied With Portugal)
Population: Approximately 45.8 million.
81. Portugal
Population: Approximately 10.33 million.
82. Indonesia
Population: Approximately 273.8 million.
83. Cambodia
Population: Approximately 16.6 million.
84. Turkey
Population: Approximately 84.8 million.
85. Dominican Republic
Population: Approximately 11.1 million.
86. Tanzania
Population: Approximately 63.6 million.
87. Greece
Population: Approximately 10.6 million.
88. Iraq (Tied With Colombia)
Population: Approximately 44 million.
89. Colombia
Population: Approximately 51.5 million.
90. Mexico
Population: Approximately 127 million.
91. Ecuador
Population: Approximately 17.8 million.
92. Venezuela
Population: Approximately 28.2 million.
93. Mauritius (Tied With Peru)
Population: Approximately 1.3 million.
94. Peru
Population: Approximately 33.7 million.
95. Togo
Population: Approximately 8.6 million.
96. Jamaica
Population: Approximately 2.8 million.
97. India
Population: Approximately 1.4 billion.
98. Bolivia
Population: Approximately 12 million.
99. Côte d’Ivoire
Population: Approximately 28 million.
100. Morocco
Population: Approximately 37 million.
101. Kenya
Population: Approximately 53 million.
102. Benin
Population: Approximately 13 million.
103. Senegal
Population: Approximately 17 million.
104. Nigeria
Population: Approximately 213 million.
105. Ghana
Population: Approximately 33 million.
106. Zimbabwe
Population: Approximately 16 million.
107. South Africa
Population: Approximately 60 million.
108. Uganda
Population: Approximately 46 million.
109. Namibia
Population: Approximately 2.5 million.
110. Zambia (Tied With Burkina Faso)
Population: Approximately 19.5 million.
111. Burkina Faso
Population: Approximately 22.1 million.
112. Philippines (Tied With Afghanistan)
Population: Approximately 114 million.
113. Afghanistan
Population: Approximately 40 million.
114. Cameroon
Population: Approximately 27.2 million.
115. Brazil
Population: Approximately 214 million.
116. Gabon
Population: Approximately 2.3 million.
117. Mozambique
Population: Approximately 32 million.
118. Republic of the Congo
Population: Approximately 5.8 million.
119. Guinea
Population: Approximately 13.5 million.
120. Sierra Leone
Population: Approximately 8.4 million.
Why Is Uzbekistan the Safest Perceived Country?
The IEP determined that Uzbekistan is the safest perceived country because of its low rates of reported experience of harm. It shared this characteristic with Russia, as with many other Eurasian countries polled.
This thread inspired this data.
This article was produced and syndicated by A Piece of Travel.
