Safety & Security Rankings

What Is the Safest Country in the World?

The Global Peace Index consistently ranks Iceland as the world's safest country, followed by Ireland, Denmark, Austria, and New Zealand. These nations share low crime rates, political stability, and strong rule of law. For digital nomads, however, "safest" also means practical day-to-day security — petty theft, scam exposure, and neighborhood-level risk matter more than macro scores.

Among the destinations Get ZEN covers, Albania, Montenegro, Georgia, and Namibia rank highest for nomad safety. All carry US State Department Level 1 ("Exercise Normal Precautions") advisories — the same rating as most of Western Europe. Each has a low rate of violent crime targeting foreigners, an established expat community, and relatively predictable petty-theft risk confined to tourist-heavy areas.

Safest Countries in Africa for Digital Nomads

Africa's safety picture varies enormously by country and region. For nomads, the continent's two standout safe destinations are Namibia and Mauritius — both covered by Get ZEN.

Namibia

Namibia holds a US State Department Level 1 advisory and has one of Southern Africa's lowest rates of crime against tourists. Windhoek, the capital, has well-established expat neighborhoods (Klein Windhoek, Ludwigsdorf) with good infrastructure. The main caution is opportunistic theft in central areas after dark — standard urban precautions apply. Internet and coworking infrastructure have improved significantly since 2022.

Mauritius

Mauritius is consistently ranked among Africa's safest and most politically stable nations. The island sees very little violent crime; petty theft in tourist areas is the primary concern. Its Premium Visa allows remote workers to stay up to one year, and the Grand Baie / Port Louis corridor offers reliable fiber connectivity. Healthcare standards are the highest on the continent. See the full Mauritius nomad guide for details.

Other African destinations we cover

Kenya and Cape Verde both feature in our rankings. Kenya (Level 2 advisory) requires more active situational awareness, particularly outside Nairobi's expat areas. Cape Verde (Level 1) is low-risk and increasingly popular, though internet infrastructure on some islands remains limited. See the Kenya guide and Cape Verde guide for city-level breakdowns.

For the full ranking across all our destinations, compare advisory levels and composite scores in the table above. Click any destination to drill into neighborhood-level safety data.

Planning your move? Also see our best countries in Africa, best countries in Europe, best English-speaking countries, and best destinations for families.

Just want a quick yes-or-no for a single country? Our is it safe to travel there? guide answers "is [destination] safe?" for every country we track, with a direct verdict and a link to the full breakdown.