Canada was ranked one of the safest countries to travel to in 2025 — but it's no longer #1

Canada is no longer the safest country in the world to travel to, according to a new ranking of the world's safest destinations for 2025.

After topping the list last year, Canada was ranked the third-safest country to travel to in this year's global safety report from Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection. This year, Iceland took the top spot, followed by Australia.

The insurance company surveyed travellers from the U.S. on countries they'd visited within the last five years. These travellers rated each country based on safety aspects like the risk of violent crime, safety from terrorism, transportation safety and health care standards. These stats were then combined with data from the Global Peace Index and other sources to calculate a balanced overall safety score.

This year, Canada's rank slipped from first to third — although it may have more to do with Iceland and Australia's big jumps from ninth and tenth than it does with Canadian safety falling. Canada's notable scores still stand strong in categories like safety from violent crime — where it's second globally after Norway — transportation and health care.

The insurance company notes that Canada's low population density helps make it a safer destination, with fewer people meaning fewer opportunities for crime and violence. "It's hard to have crime if you don't have victims or perpetrators," it says, highlighting Canada's vast open spaces and quiet highways as advantages.

However, the report also points out Canada's main potential dangers — "a different group of wild things" — like the country's large populations of bears, wolves and moose, and especially the danger these and other animals often pose to travellers on the Trans-Canada Highway.

In specific categories, Canada ranks exceptionally high, coming in first for both transportation safety and health measures and getting shoutouts for its well-developed health care infrastructure and extensive roadways. Additionally, Canada ranks second for safety from violent crime, safety from terrorism and safety for women, 2SLGBTQIA+ travellers and people of colour.

Here's the full list of the world's safest countries for 2025, as ranked by Berkshire Hathaway:

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

So, while Canada may have lost the top spot, it's still a prime destination for travellers seeking a safe and secure experience.

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