Author & Photographer: George Mitchell
How Safe Is it to Travel?
Homicide and robbery rate are more relevant to citizens living in a country. Generally, these rates do not affect tourists. Instead, the table below ranks countries by a more generic Safety Index as a measure of safety when travelling.
As you can see below, Canada, Europe, and East Asian countries are generally very safe. By contrast, the four most popular Caribbean travel destinations are also the least safe.
| Country | Travel Safe Safety Index | TS Rank | Numbeo Safety Index |
| New Zealand | 90 | 7 | 56.7 |
| Canada | 88 | 13 | 57.1 |
| Ireland | 83 | 23 | 54.5 |
| Japan | 83 | 23 | 77.9 |
| South Korea | 82 | 29 | 73.5 |
| Italy | 77 | 50 | 54.8 |
| United Kingdom | 77 | 50 | 53.5 |
| Saint Lucia | 70 | 67 | N/A |
| United States | 68 | 82 | 51.8 |
| Mexico | 65 | 88 | 46.3 |
| Costa Rica | 64 | 90 | 46.1 |
| France | 64 | 90 | 47.6 |
| Jamaica | 55 | 102 | 32.2 |
| Dominican Republic | 54 | 106 | 39.1 |
| Bahamas | 49 | 123 | 37.5 |
| Thailand | 48 | 131 | 60.7 |
| India | 47 | 55.7 | |
| Puerto Rico | 34 | 176 | 37.8 |
Highest Safety Index = best country: 0-33 = dangerous; 33-66 = somewhat dangerous/safe; 66-100 = safest countries
Rank 1 = best country; Rank = 129 = worst country
According to Numbeo, Thailand is very safe. What does not make sense is that the Travel Safe rating for Thailand is poor. Italy does have a high pickpocket risk, which is not shown here. You need to use a money belt for your passport, credit cards and excess cash. You should also be vigilant about the people around you.
Data Sources and Links
Crime Index by Country 2022, Numbeo
Terra Encounters 