Country rankings

Safest Countries in South America

Colombia has the highest Global Peace Index in 2026 (2.735), followed by Ecuador (2.539) and Venezuela (2.516). Uruguay has the lowest (1.754).

Crime & Safety11 countries · 2 metricsUpdated Oct 4, 2024Original page
4 sources
Global Peace IndexBetter directionWhether a higher or a lower value is better. A green arrow means higher is better, a red arrow means lower is better, and no arrow means neither.More in the glossary →
11 of 235 countries
Compare this metricAdd to combined rankingOpen full map

Global Peace Index, 2026

Darker green is better (higher is better). Click a place to highlight it.

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All 11 ranked

Best first.

Distribution Median and middle halfThe median is the middle value: half of places are above it, half below. The middle half is the range holding the central 50% of places.More in the glossary →

Each dot is one country; the lines mark the median and the middle half.

Median
2.093
Middle half 1.902 – 2.425
Average
2.161
11 countries
Highest
2.735
Colombia
Lowest
1.754
Uruguay

Over time · 2021–2026

The top 5 in 2026, against the median.

  • Median of all countries
  • Colombia
  • Ecuador
  • Venezuela
  • Brazil
  • Peru

Data

Click a column to sort, a row to highlight that place on the charts.

11 countries · # = rank by Global Peace Index
#
1Colombia2.7353: Reconsider Travel
2Ecuador2.5392: Exercise Increased Caution
3Venezuela2.5164: Do Not Travel
4Brazil2.3332: Exercise Increased Caution
5Peru2.123: Reconsider Travel
6Guyana2.0933: Reconsider Travel
7Bolivia2.0542: Exercise Increased Caution
8Argentina1.9221: Exercise Normal Precautions
9Paraguay1.8821: Exercise Normal Precautions
10Chile1.8262: Exercise Increased Caution
11Uruguay1.7542: Exercise Increased Caution

What correlates with Global Peace Index (2026)?

Pearson r against 1,373 other country metrics sharing at least 10 countries. Ranks are read by standing: a better rank counts as higher, whether rank 1 is the best place on a list or the worst. Correlation is not causation.

Higher together

Places that have a higher Global Peace Index tend to score higher on these (or rank better)

  1. RemittancesRemittances by Country
    r = +0.94 · very strong · n = 10
    Plot
  2. Bat SpeciesBat Population by Country
    r = +0.93 · very strong · n = 11
    Plot
  3. % of Pop. Living on Less Than $3.65 USD/DayPoverty Rate by Country
    r = +0.92 · very strong · n = 10
    Plot
  4. Refugees & IDPsFailed States
    r = +0.92 · very strong · n = 11
    Plot
  5. Violent Gun Deaths as % of All Deaths IHMEGun Deaths by Country
    r = +0.92 · very strong · n = 11
    Plot
  6. Hummingbird SpeciesHummingbird Population by Country
    r = +0.91 · very strong · n = 10
    Plot

Opposite directions

Places that have a higher Global Peace Index tend to score lower on these (or rank worse)

  1. Women, Peace and Security Index (WPSI)Most Dangerous Countries for Women
    r = −0.94 · very strong · n = 11
    Plot
  2. WJP RoLI Order and Security ScoreWorld Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index
    r = −0.91 · very strong · n = 11
    Plot
  3. SafetySocial Progress Index by Country
    r = −0.89 · very strong · n = 11
    Plot
  4. LP Safety & SecurityLegatum Prosperity IndexA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = +0.86 · very strong · n = 11
    Plot
  5. Obesity Rate (WHO)Obesity Rates by Country
    r = −0.83 · very strong · n = 11
    Plot
  6. Percentile RankPolitical Stability by Country
    r = −0.80 · very strong · n = 11
    Plot

Quick answers

Which country has the highest Global Peace Index?
Colombia has the highest Global Peace Index in 2026, at 2.735, followed by Ecuador (2.539) and Venezuela (2.516).
Which country has the lowest Global Peace Index?
Uruguay has the lowest Global Peace Index in 2026, at 1.754.
What is the median Global Peace Index across countries?
The median is 2.093 across the 11 countries with data in 2026.
Where does this safest countries in south america data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Global Peace Index 2024 map - Vision of Humanity; Global Peace Index 2022 full report - Institute for Economics and Peace; Victims of intentional homicide, 1990-2018 - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime; Robbery 2018 - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.