Is Portugal a Safe Country? | Casas do Barlavento
According to the Global Peace Index, Portugal will be ranked as the seventh-safest country in the world in 2023.
At the end of June, the Institute for Economics and Peace again presented its conclusions on the safest countries in the world. Portugal ranked 7th, remaining in the top 10 countries as in previous years. From 2018 to 2020, Portugal remained on the podium in third place. In 2021, it dropped to fourth place, in 2022 to sixth and in 2023 to seventh.
Photo by Jake Melara - Unsplash
In 2023, the last place belongs to Afghanistan, which has held this place on the table for eight consecutive years.
This institution aims to change the paradigm of the world's understanding of peace by making it something tangible and achievable for all civilisation. Since 2007, the Index has promoted world peace by revealing the data it collects. 23 quantitative and qualitative indicators come from reliable sources and mainly relate to the following areas:
- External and internal conflicts in development;
- The level of human security;
- The level of militarisation in a country.
The results for the last 16 years show that the peace in the world has deteriorated by 0.42 per cent, with 84 countries improving and 79 deteriorating compared to the previous year. This index covers much more than wars like the one we are currently experiencing in Europe. The index also provides information on political and social conflicts, militarisation and the fear caused by a lack of security.
This ranking analyses the annual performance of 163 independent states or territories, covering 99.7% of the world's population. The institution's promotion of peace contributes to economic development and builds more and more trust among citizens.
Europe remains one of the safest regions in the world, and Portugal is part of that continent. In 2014, it was in 16th place, but after the economic crisis, it has moved up thirteen places. Even though Portugal is no longer one of the top three safest countries, it is still a safe country, and as proof of this, many foreigners have chosen to reside there. The main reasons for this move were:
- Safety;
- The climate;
- The low cost of living;
- The programme is for non-habitual residents.
Portugal offers excellent healthcare professionals, whether in the public or private system, as well as in the education system. If you are considering moving to this country, do as much research as possible on the most important areas, such as education and health care. The recognised cuisine of the Mediterranean diet and the distinctive landscapes of each region are two other factors that increasingly invite you to live in Portugal.
For around 10.5 million people, it is a privilege to live in the seventh-safest country in the world - a number that will continue to rise due to the exponential increase in the number of new citizens.