World’s safest countries revealed amid WW3 fears

After a joint US-Israeli military operation and the death of the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, there are now fears of the conflict growing even further.

The attack prompted retaliation from Iran, with missiles reported to have targeted Israel and countries across the Middle East, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain.

But what countries are safe amid fears of a Third World War breaking out?

The Express has looked at which nations are considered the most peaceful, following a major escalation in the Middle East.

The 2025 Global Peace Index (GPI), covers 99.7% of the world’s population and is calculated “using 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from highly respected sources”.

The index measures the state of peace across three areas; the level of societal safety and security, the extent of ongoing domestic and international conflict and the degree of militarisation.

Ireland came second in the 2025 GPI rankings. The country maintains a policy of military neutrality but does have a small defence force.

New Zealand ranks third, being one of the world’s most remote nations in the south-western Pacific. While it does have a military, it is generally considered very safe.

It would be a safer haven in the event of a Third World War, with fighting probably to be concentrated elsewhere, due to its physical isolation from the rest of the world.

Other countries that make the top 10 of the 2025 GPI list include Austria, Singapore, Finland, Denmark and Switzerland.