Global Peace Index 2026: How the role of safety may change in travel planning

The Global Peace Index 2026 has been released, and one of the most important messages of this year's ranking is that safety is no longer just a background consideration in travel planning. According to the fresh index, the world's average peace level has declined again, while many European destinations continue to be among the most stable countries. For Hungarian travelers, this does not mean that it is only worth traveling to countries at the top of the list, but rather that when making summer bookings, prices, availability, insurance, local transport, and official consular advice should be compared more consciously.

The Global Peace Index is prepared by the Institute for Economics & Peace, and the 2026 edition is the twentieth anniversary report of the indicator. The index ranks 163 countries and territories based on 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators. The methodology examines three major areas: societal safety, ongoing domestic and international conflicts, and the level of militarization. Therefore, the list is not a classic tourist ranking, yet it can be useful background material when someone is planning a family vacation, a longer tour, a city visit, or an overseas trip.

Why has this ranking become more important now?

According to this year's report, the global peace level has declined by 0.7 percent compared to the previous year. Of the 163 countries examined, 99 worsened, 62 improved, and according to the report, 119 countries are now less peaceful than they were in 2008. This is a particularly strong signal in a year when wars, regional tensions, political instability, mass protests, aviation detours and insurance risks appear more and more frequently in travel decisions.

The impact of safety on tourism is visible on several levels. The most immediate consequence is that travelers choose destination countries more cautiously and check official advice more frequently. The second effect appears in route planning: a distant country may remain attractive if it is stable, but the transfer points required for flying, airspace restrictions or regional conflicts may make the journey more expensive or more unpredictable. The third effect is on the cost side: in more uncertain regions, insurance, flexible tickets, cancellation terms and the reliability of local transfers suddenly become more important than a difference of a few thousand forints in ticket price.

Iceland remained at the top, Europe continues to be strong

Based on the 2026 Global Peace Index, Iceland continues to be the most peaceful country in the world, for the nineteenth consecutive year. The top five places in the ranking are occupied by Iceland, New Zealand, Switzerland, Slovenia, and Ireland. From a tourist perspective, this is noteworthy because the top of the list does not only contain distant, hard-to-reach countries: Switzerland, Slovenia, and Ireland can be relatively easily integrated into a long weekend, a family tour, or a summer nature-focused trip for Hungarian travelers.

In the case of Iceland, the peace ranking is in good harmony with the image that many travelers have already associated with the country: low crime, strong institutional trust, small population and a unique natural environment. At the same time, Iceland shows exactly why one should not decide based on a single index. The island nation is stable, but travelers must pay attention to the weather, volcanic activity, road closures and the specifics of rural driving. Those preparing for Reykjavik and the south coast should also consider buffer time and appropriate insurance when planning Budapest-Reykjavik flights and Keflavik car rentals.

Switzerland and Slovenia are different types of, but very practical examples from the perspective of the Hungarian market. Due to Switzerland's stability, good railway network and predictable service level, it continues to be a strong choice for city visits, Alpine trips or relaxation combined with business trips. Along with the Budapest-Zurich route, many also depart from Vienna, so Vienna-Zurich flights can also represent a relevant alternative. Slovenia is particularly interesting due to its proximity: Ljubljana, Bled, Bohinj or the Slovenian coast are accessible by car and plane, and its fourth place in the ranking confirms that the region can remain competitive as a safe, nature-oriented and easily organized destination.

Ireland and New Zealand: two different lessons

Ireland's fifth place can be used more directly by Hungarian travelers than it seems at first. Dublin is a popular city visit destination, there is strong family and work-related traffic, and many use the country for English-language study, cultural or nature-hiking trips. Those planning an Irish tour in the coming months should, besides comparing Budapest-Dublin flights and Dublin airport car rentals, also pay attention to local traffic rules, left-hand driving and early booking of rural accommodations.

New Zealand is a different matter. The second place is a strong signal of safety and stability, but for Hungarian travelers, the distance, price, long flight time and number of transfers require more serious planning. In such a trip, safety does not only mean the state of the destination country, but also which route the traveler flies, how much transfer time they leave, what cancellation terms they book with, and what the travel insurance covers. Therefore, when searching for the Budapest-Auckland route or Vienna-Auckland flights, it is particularly important to look at the entire travel chain, not just the final ticket price.

The peace index does not replace official travel advice

The Global Peace Index is a strong starting point, but not a travel safety guarantee. A country can be high in the ranking while pickpocketing is more common in certain city districts, seasonal natural risks appear in some regions, or transport requires different discipline than what the Hungarian traveler is used to. Similarly, within a lower-ranked country, there can be tourist-well-organized, stable regions, but for these, up-to-date official information is particularly important.

Hungarian citizens should check the travel advice for each country from the Consular Service before every foreign trip. The official Hungarian information not only provides a general safety classification, but can also communicate entry requirements, health information, local peculiarities and information related to extraordinary events. The peace index is therefore more of a strategic map: it helps to understand which countries show a more stable overall picture, but the decision before departure must still be made together with current consular information, airline information, insurance terms and local news.

What does this mean for the 2026 summer season?

One practical conclusion of the 2026 list for Hungarian travelers is that closer, stable European destinations may increase in value. Switzerland, Slovenia, Ireland, Austria, Denmark, Portugal, Finland or the Czech Republic are not necessarily cheap in all cases, but the predictable infrastructure, good public safety and transparent transport can be attractive to many travelers. This is particularly important for families, older travelers, solo travelers and those who do not want to deal with complex visa, health or insurance issues.

The other lesson is that safety should be translated into concrete travel decisions. It is not enough to say that a country is "safe". One must look at how we get there, what the delay risks are, how flexible the ticket is, what the insurance covers, local transport, and what happens if a flight is canceled, there is a strike, weather problems arise or the security situation suddenly changes. Those who think about these in advance do not travel out of fear, but plan the same experience more responsibly.

How should a Hungarian traveler use the ranking?

It is worth treating the Global Peace Index as a first filter. If someone is choosing between several possible destination countries, the ranking can help determine which direction requires more background checks. For a city visit, it may be useful to compare public safety, the reliability of public transport and the area around the accommodation. For a tour, the difference between regions, the state of the roads, accident statistics, availability of healthcare and the terms under which the insurer provides coverage are more important. For distant trips, the operational stability of transfer countries and airlines will also be part of the security picture.

The best decision is generally not to avoid all risks, but to recognize which risk is manageable and and which is not. An Icelandic driving tour, a Swiss train vacation, a Slovenian long weekend, a Dublin city visit or a New Zealand grand tour require very different organization. The common point is that the peace ranking is a good starting data point, but the quality of the trip is ultimately decided by the route, booking terms, insurance, local information and a realistic timeframe.

Summary

The fresh data of the Global Peace Index 2026 show that the peace environment is declining worldwide, but Europe continues to offer many stable and easily planned destinations. This is good news for Hungarian travelers, but at the same time, it is not a reason for automatic trust. The ranking can help select the quieter directions, but before every concrete trip, official advice, entry requirements, transport and insurance must be checked. In 2026, safety is not the opposite of adventure, but its condition: the better the trip is prepared, the more attention remains for the experience itself.