Is Portugal the safest country in Europe? According to the 2020 ranking by the international Global Peace Index, it is. And it may even be the safest county in the world.

According to the respected index of national safety, Portugal ranks Number 3 in the world behind only Iceland and New Zealand. But when you consider that the two nations ahead of Portugal are actually islands, Portugal remains the Number One safest country among nations with borders.

Why Portugal?

The annual report, produced for the past 14 years by the Sydney-based Institute for Economics and Peace, looks at a number of different factors in determining how safe a country is, including government stability, war and civil unrest, crime, militarization, and even a country’s history of labor unrest.

The least safe countries were Afghanistan and Syria followed by South Sudan and Yemen. The United States ranked 141 among the 163 countries included on the list.

Portugal received its high safety ranking due to its ridiculously low crime rate. Major crimes like murders, armed robberies, and rapes are relatively uncommon, especially when compared to the US and the other countries in the European Union.

Destination Safety

Portugal may be the world’s best-kept secret of great places to live. Not only does it consistently rank high in categories like safety and quality of life, but it actually welcomes and is grateful when people from other countries move to Portugal to live, work, and even retire.

BRINT Portugal specializes in helping people from the US, South Africa, and other countries live, work, and prosper in the safety and security of Portugal.

To learn more about opportunities for a new life in Portugal, contact the relocation and retirement experts at BRINT Portugal.