Is Portugal a Safe Country?

Portugal is considered the 3rd safest country in the world in the Global Peace Index.

It was in June that the Institute for Economics and Peace reconfirmed what the citizens of our country already knew: Portugal is one of the safest countries in the world! Since 2018, the first three places have remained on the podium, with Portugal pursuing Iceland and New Zealand, in first and second place respectively. 

The last place in this ranking for the year 2019 was occupied by Afghanistan, succeeding Syria as one of the least secure countries in the world.

This institution intends to change the paradigm of how the world sees peace, making it something tangible and achievable by all. The index exists since 2007 with the intent of promoting world peace through data collected. There are 23 quantitative and qualitative indicators collected by integrated sources based mainly on:

• Developing external and internal conflicts;
• The level of security and protection of individuals;
• The degree of militarization in the country.

The result of the last 12 years, proves this is the ninth year in which the level of peace in the world has deteriorated. This index determines much more than the existing war in each country, such as political and social conflicts, militarization and the fear of lack of security. One of the indicators that increased was terrorism, and in return, murders decreased.

This ranking observes the annual evolution of 163 independent states or territories, thus covering 99.7% of the world population. Peace also contributes to economic development and affects the confidence generated in households.

Europe remains one of the safest regions on the planet and Portugal is included in this continent. In 2014 the country was in 16th place, but right after the economic crisis it went up about thirteen levels.

Portugal is a safe country to live in, and as can we observe, there are many cases of foreigners who have chosen to live in this country. The main reasons for the change are:

• Safety;
• The weather;
• The low cost of living (find out more about this here);
• Non-Habitual Residents Programme (find out more about this programme here).

With the addition that Portugal offers excellent conditions in the health sector, whether public or private, as well as in education. If you are considering moving to this country, collect as much information as possible on main sectors such as the Portuguese education system and the health sector. The renowned Mediterranean diet gastronomy and the distinct landscapes of each region are two other topics that invite more and more to live in Portuguese lands.

Living in the 3rd safest country in the world is a privilege of about 10 million people, a number that has a tendency to increase, not just due to the increase in birth rates and low mortality, but also due to the exponential number of new residents.

See the full Global Peace Index report here.