Safety is usually near the top of the checklist for families moving abroad — even if it is rarely the deciding factor on its own. This article uses the Global Peace Index 2024 rankings, UK Government travel advice categories, and the per-country research across our twenty-destination series to give an honest picture of safety for UK families.
Key takeaways
- Japan, Singapore, New Zealand, and Denmark are the safest destinations on every metric
- Gulf states (UAE, Qatar) have very low street crime despite lower GPI rankings
- The USA's GPI ranking of 131st conceals huge variation — research your specific metro area
- All twenty destinations have FCDO 'normal precautions' advice (or better)
- For families with young children, day-to-day street safety often matters more than national rankings
How we assess safety
Safety is multidimensional: the Global Peace Index (GPI) published by the Institute for Economics & Peace covers 163 countries across societal safety and security, ongoing conflict, and militarisation. We use the 2024 rankings alongside UK Government travel advice (FCDO) and day-to-day crime data from Numbeo and national crime statistics.
No destination on this list carries an FCDO “Advise Against All Travel” warning — all twenty are popular, established destinations for UK working families. Safety differences are therefore shades of grey, not a black-and-white story.
Our complete Working Abroad guide covers safety for each destination alongside visas, schools, healthcare, and family cost of living.
Global Peace Index: the 20 destinations ranked
The table below shows where each of our twenty destinations sits in the GPI 2024. A lower rank number means more peaceful (Iceland is 1st; the UK ranks around 33rd). Note that GPI rank is for the whole country; major city crime can be higher than the national average.
| Destination | GPI 2024 rank | FCDO advice | Day-to-day family safety |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 4th | Normal precautions | Excellent; very low violent crime |
| Ireland | 12th | Normal precautions | Very good; low violent crime outside city centres |
| Denmark | 10th | Normal precautions | Excellent; very low crime rates; children play unsupervised |
| Sweden | 25th | Normal precautions | Good overall; isolated gang-crime issues in specific city districts |
| Japan | 9th | Normal precautions | Outstanding; virtually no violent crime; children travel alone from age 6 |
| Australia | 14th | Normal precautions | Good; low violent crime; natural hazards (snakes, spiders) are a factor |
| Canada | 11th | Normal precautions | Good; property crime in cities; violent crime low outside specific areas |
| Singapore | 7th | Normal precautions | Outstanding; consistently among the world’s safest cities |
| Switzerland | 8th | Normal precautions | Excellent; very low crime; clean and orderly public spaces |
| Germany | 17th | Normal precautions | Good; pocket-theft in tourist areas; overall very safe for families |
| Netherlands | 16th | Normal precautions | Good; bicycle theft common; low violent crime |
| Portugal | 6th | Normal precautions | Excellent; among Europe’s safest; low violent crime |
| Spain | 30th | Normal precautions | Good overall; pickpocketing in tourist cities; residential areas very safe |
| France | 64th | Normal precautions | Good in suburbs; petty crime in Paris tourist areas; residential France very safe |
| UAE (Dubai) | 39th | Normal precautions | Very safe for expat families; strict law enforcement; low crime |
| Qatar | 29th | Normal precautions | Very safe for expat families; very low crime |
| Saudi Arabia | 97th | Some areas: increased vigilance | Safe in expat compounds/compounds; cultural restrictions apply |
| Hong Kong | 46th | Normal precautions | Low violent crime; some political sensitivities |
| Italy | 33rd | Normal precautions | Good overall; petty theft in tourist areas; south varies by city |
| USA | 131st | Normal precautions | Varies enormously by city and neighbourhood; research your specific metro area |
The safest picks and the nuance
Japan, Singapore, New Zealand, and Denmark are the outstanding performers on every safety metric: very low violent crime, excellent public safety infrastructure, and cultures where children are typically safe to use public transport independently from a young age.
The Gulf states (UAE, Qatar) score lower on the GPI due to geopolitical factors but are widely regarded by expat families as very safe for day-to-day living, with extremely low street crime. The restrictions on social behaviour that apply in those countries should be factored separately, as they affect family life in ways crime statistics do not capture.
The USA ranks 131st on the GPI — the lowest on this list — but this national figure conceals enormous variation. Well-resourced suburban areas in states like Massachusetts, Minnesota, or Colorado are statistically as safe as anywhere in Western Europe. The key is researching your specific metro area and neighbourhood rather than relying on the headline figure.
For the full financial and lifestyle picture, read our best countries for UK families with kids round-up or explore any destination in detail via the complete Working Abroad guide.
GPI rankings are from the Global Peace Index 2024. FCDO advice is as of June 2026 and can change — check gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice for the current position. Nothing here is personal financial, tax, immigration, or security advice.
Important: This article is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Tax rules can change and individual circumstances vary. If you need advice tailored to your situation, please consult a qualified, FCA-regulated financial adviser. You can browse advisers in our adviser directory.
