A new survey has ranked the United Arab Emirates as the second safest country in the world. A report by Numbeo’s 2025 Safety Index puts the Middle Eastern nation as the second safest with an impressive Safety Index score of 84.5.
Guess which country came first? It is Andorra, a tiny, independent principality situated between France and Spain in the Pyrenees mountains. It claimed the top spot with a score of 84.7. Andorra, a developed economy and a free market, also boasts of a per capita income above the European average.
A peaceful country, Andorra is one of the 21 countries without their armed forces. It also has almost no crime, scams or violence to report. However, petty crimes such as pickpocketing and purse snatching may occur. This principality measures just 468 square kilometres and is home to 85,101 people. It is also a prominent tourist destination with ski resorts and mountains.
As for the UAE, this is not the first time it occupies the coveted position. Last year too, it came second, thanks to the strict laws regarding crime, drug use and public behaviour, with severe penalties for violations. The country also boasts of a strong police force and security infrastructure, which include extensive surveillance, particularly in cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Not just the UAE, other Middle Eastern countries too featured prominently in the list. While Qatar secured third place, Taiwan came fourth. Oman and Qatar shared the fifth place in the survey list. While Saudi Arabia climbed from 26th to 14, Bahrain had a slight drop, from 13th to 16th.
Ironically, India came at 66th position, three spots below Pakistan.
US, UK and Palestine
The UK came 87th, falling three spots from 84th in 2024 while US retained its 89th position. Interestingly, Palestine continued to be the world's 61st safest country despite the war with Israel. Ukraine is the 80th safest country while Venezuela the least safest.