Iceland tops travel lists for its other-worldy beaches and idyllic islands, but its newest travel ranking has nothing to do with beauty. Awarded by the company International SOS, the tiny nation just got named one of the safest countries in the world to visit for 2020.
Iceland was recently ranked as one of the safest countries in the world for 2020 by the company International SOS
The interactive Travel Risk Map predicts the safest and most dangerous places to travel based on medical risks, security and infrastructure. While you won’t find the most instagrammable spots listed, the map proves useful for safety-minded travelers.
On their 11th annual Travel Risk Map, the organization listed the safest and most dangerous countries for travelers
Countries were ranked in different risk categories: insignificant, low, medium, high and extreme. Low-risk countries are marked in green, medium in yellow, high in orange, very high in red and those with a ‘variable’ risk are marked in purple.
The ranking criteria was based on “the current threat posed to travelers by political violence, social unrest, as well as violent and petty crime.”
The company conducted a risk analysis of political violence, social unrest, violent and petty crime, the robustness of the transport infrastructure, the state of industrial relations, the effectiveness of the security and emergency services, and the country’s susceptibility to natural disasters.
All the top safety spots on the 2020 Travel Risk Map were held by Nordic countries
All the safest spots held a low risk of medical, security and road safety issues. Norway, Finland and Iceland were joined by Denmark, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Slovenia, Luxembourg and Switzerland.
10 Safest Countries In The World 2020
The Global Peace Index listed the following countries as the safest in the world:
- Iceland
- New Zealand
- Portugal
- Austria
- Denmark
- Canada
- Singapore
- Slovenia
- Japan
- Czech Republic
This isn’t the first time Iceland has been awarded this honor. Global Finance Magazine ranked the island the ‘World’s Safest Country for 2019’
Iceland grabbed the outlet’s top spot due to its low crime rate and low per capita murder rate. Global Finance attributed the success of Iceland and fellow European countries to their economies and healthcare systems.
Iceland was also named the safest country in the world in 2018. You can learn more about it here.
The island was also among one of the top 10 safest countries for LGBTQ travelers on ‘The Worst (& Safest) Countries for LGBTQ+ Travel in 2019’ list
The most dangerous places on earth for 2020, according to the Travel Risk Map, were Libya and Somalia. While the map is an overall reflection of location risks, International SOS advises travelers to do as much research on their desired travel destination as possible before taking off.
Has Iceland earned a top spot on your travel bucket list?
No matter what type of traveler you are, Iceland has something for everyone! Explore this volcanic island on one of our popular tours.
