Iceland, Australia and Canada ranked top three safest countries

STEVENS POINT, Wis., October 22, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Travel insurance provider Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection (BHTP) has announced the insights of its tenth-annual State of Travel Insurance Safest Destinations report, the longest-running and most trusted research project evaluating the attitudes of U.S. travelers toward travel safety and travel insurance.

Travelers looking for inspiration for their 2025 getaways should keep destinations such as Iceland, Australia and Canada in mind, as they have been ranked as this year’s top three safest countries. The report also highlights the world’s safest cities, with Reykjavik, Copenhagen and Amsterdam taking the lead for 2025.

Since 2016, BHTP has been surveying travelers on their attitudes toward travel safety, and in 2018, they began compiling lists of the world’s safest places. To determine these rankings, BHTP surveyed a large group of American travelers in August about their destinations over the past five years, allowing only those who have visited specific countries to rate them on safety. BHTP then augments those ratings with other indices and information to evaluate safety concerns such as terrorism, weather emergencies, health measures and the safety of underrepresented groups to calculate a weighted score that reflects each country’s overall safety.

Top 15 Safest Countries

1. Iceland

2. Australia

3. Canada

4. Ireland

5. Switzerland

6. New Zealand

7. Germany

8. Norway

9. Japan

10. Denmark

11. Portugal

12. Spain

13. United Kingdom

14. Netherlands

15. Sweden

Top 15 Safest Cities

1. Reykjavik

2. Copenhagen

3. Amsterdam

4. Tokyo

5. Sydney

6. Montreal

7. Seoul

8. Singapore

9. Berlin

10. Hong Kong

11. Venice

12. London

13. Honolulu

14. Dubai

15. Barcelona

In the 2025 rankings, Iceland has redeemed its position as the safest destination in the world for the first time in three years, despite volcanic eruptions in 2024. Australia and Canada, now in second and third place respectively, have been climbing in the rankings over the past several years and have regularly made the top ten list. Changes were also noted among the safest cities: Reykjavik reclaimed the top ranking after slipping from first place last year, while Honolulu dropped from the number one spot to the thirteenth.

"After years of conducting this research, patterns have emerged and certain countries and cities, like Switzerland and Singapore, have become mainstays in the top 10 Safest Destinations," said Carol Mueller, Head of Marketing. "However, no matter how highly a destination’s safety may be ranked, we always emphasize the importance of purchasing travel insurance ahead of your vacations and choosing the right policy to protect your trip."

BHTP’s State of Travel Insurance research has been conducted each fall since 2016 by Polymath Research + Marketing, using independent national panels surveying thousands of consumers on future expectations in travel insurance and travel habits. The lists of the world’s safest countries and cities were created using an index that synthesizes results from multiple sources, including the U.S. State Department, the British financial magazine The Economist, safety-app creator GeoSure Global, Vision of Humanity, Numbeo, and Global Finance magazine. Past rankings also are factored in.

Click here to read more on the safest countries ranking and here to read more on safest cities. To request a full report, members of the media can email the contact below.

About the State of Travel Insurance

State of Travel Insurance (SOTI), a joint project of Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection (BHTP) and Polymath Research + Marketing (PRM), is the longest-running and most trusted research project tracking U.S. travelers’ attitudes toward travel safety and travel insurance. SOTI has been conducted since 2016, and continues to provide category-leading research on key travel issues. This year’s survey involved a total of 1,838 travelers who were surveyed by PRM from July 18 - 29, 2024.

About Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection (BHTP) is a registered trademark and a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company, a leader in specialized casualty and liability insurance. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company provides underwriting and claims administration services for some of the largest distributors of travel insurance in the United States. Created under the Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection trade name is the ExactCare® line of travel insurance, AirCare® flight, WaveCare®, AdrenalineCare®, LuxuryCare® and other travel-related protections. The AirCare® and ExactCare® products are provided by Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company. Visit bhtp.com for more information.

About Polymath Research + Marketing

Polymath Research + Marketing is a full-service market-research and marketing agency that specializes in crafting custom research and content to help organizations reach their business and marketing goals. PRM currently services firms in the insurance, travel, sports, and manufacturing industries, and provides research and content support to several top agencies. To learn more visit www.polymathpower.com.

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Contacts

Carol Mueller, Head of Marketing
Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection
Carol.Mueller@bhspecialty.com