Worried About Traveling? These Are The 10 Safest Countries To Visit

The world is a dangerous, scary, and volatile place. We all see the news stories from around the globe, hear about the heartbreak and hatred that occur on a regular basis, and worry about the wellbeing of ourselves, our friends, and our families.

Click here for The 10 Safest Countries to Visit

On the other hand, the world is also an enormous place. We have almost 200 countries in total, and most of them are beautiful, pleasant, and safe places to visit. We cannot and should not let the actions of people in a few places deter us from exploring some of the wonderful things this planet has to offer, especially when experiencing and understanding other cultures is the true key to ending violence once and for all.

One of the most comprehensive examinations of safety across the world is the Global Peace Index (GPI), which measures peace around the world according to 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators, including impact of terrorism, political instability, UN peacekeeping funding, and number of security officers and police rate. We used the GPI figures as the basis for this article's ranking.

For the record, the United States did rather poorly, finishing with a rank of No. 103 out of the 163 countries included in the survey. This is disappointing, but it's not nearly as bad as Russia at No. 151, or Syria, which finished dead last (no pun intended). Elsewhere, China is No. 120, the U.K. landed a spot at No. 47, France is No. 46, Australia is No. 15, and our pals in Sweden were No. 14.

Of course, tourists should be vigilant and use caution anytime they travel, especially when it comes to minor crimes like pickpocketing, which can be nuisance even in the safest countries. But as far as major dangers go, these 10 countries are your safest bets for worry-free travel.