Singapore is 6th safest in the world, according to Global Peace Index
Singapore is often touted as one of the world’s safest countries, even gaining a reputation for being a “fine” city, with strict rules and regulations set in place to deter petty crimes.
However, according to the Global Peace Index (GPI) 2025 produced by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), five countries rank ahead of Singapore.
The 19th edition of the index finds that peacefulness has generally declined on a global level, with more countries increasing their militarisation amid geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty.
How does the index work?
The GPI evaluates 163 countries using 23 indicators that measure the absence of violence or fear of violence.
Source: IEP
These indicators are then grouped into three domains:
- Societal Safety and Security (crime rates, political stability)
- Ongoing Conflict (internal and external conflicts)
- Militarisation (military spending, weapons, armed personnel)
Countries receive a score for each domain, before a final score is tabulated.
Source: IEP
They are scored on a scale from 1 (most peaceful) to 5 (least peaceful) — with lower scores indicating safer countries.
For context, Singapore received a score of 1.357, and has maintained its overall position in sixth.
The Lion City lost the most points in the ‘militarisation’ domain, with a score of 2.01, despite its top five ranking in both ‘safety and security’ and ‘ongoing conflict’.
Still surprised that Singapore isn’t top? Here’s a look of the five countries supposedly “safer” than Singapore — and why.
1. Iceland
With no standing army and a track record of avoiding conflict, Iceland has long been the gold standard for peace.
Source: Travalot
Top of the GPI list since 2008, Iceland has maintained its status as the world’s safest country for the 18th year running.
According to the GPI, Iceland tops all three domains, with a total score of 1.095.
In fact, in a year where overall global peace has declined, Iceland has reported a 2% increase in overall peacefulness in 2025.
Source: Iceland Travel
The country boasts a relatively small population of around 402,000, and an extremely low intentional homicide rate of around 1.3 per 100,000 people in 2023.
Iceland is also a country without a military, and has focused on a comprehensive and multilateral approach towards security affairs.
Throughout its history, Iceland has never been part of a fully-fledged war, or an invasion.
Source: Interpol
However, Iceland has prepared itself through increasing defence-related spending by around 20% yearly since 2016.
This has resulted in the slight decrease in score for Iceland’s military expenditure — marking the only deterioration in an otherwise unblemished scorecard.
Another advantage Iceland holds is its geographical location.
Source: Britannica
As a relatively remote country away from mainland Europe, this may prove beneficial in maintaining its safety, should a full-blown conflict ensue.
2. Ireland
While some may associate Ireland with Conor McGregor and his fighting exploits in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), his home country appears to be quite less chaotic.
Ireland retained its spot as the second-most peaceful country in the world for 2025, with a GPI score of 1.260.
