If you’re looking for destination ideas for your 2025 travel calendar, considering a roundup of the world’s safest countries is a great place to start. North American-based travel insurance company Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection recently released its annual list of safest countries to visit next year. Iceland topped the list for 2025.
The Nordic country landed at No. 1 due to its one main road, “Ring Road,” which Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection noted “is never crowded,” and therefore not prone to traffic accidents. The Reykjavík Grapevine reported in September that Iceland’s traffic-related death toll had reached 13 in 2024, the highest annual number since 2018.
Impressively, Iceland ranked first on the travel insurance company’s list after placing ninth the previous year.
Australia, Canada, Ireland, and Switzerland rounded out 2025’s top five. Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection noted that after years of surveying American travelers, the places considered “safe” are clear. Based on their analysis of travelers’ input, Canada, Northern Europe, Australia, and New Zealand “are pretty safe places.”
The 2025 rankings were compiled based on a “large” survey of American travelers, the Global Peace Index, and Numbeo data. Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection also considered an average of the GeoSure Global scores of the major cities in each country.
Other Destinations That Made The ‘Safest Countries’ List
The report shared a list of the safest countries to travel to in 2025 for women, LGBTQIA+, and/or POC (people of color) travelers. That roundup was based solely on respondents’ ratings. In consecutive order, the list was:
- New Zealand
- Canada
- Ireland
- Australia
- United Kingdom
- Costa Rica
- Iceland
- Norway
- Germany
- Italy
Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection noted that the results of its survey “can be variable,” so it is important to “do your own research.”
