Travelers always want to know “is Iceland safe”? This is a very fair question, especially in today’s digital nomad world where this question often comes in the form of “is Iceland safe for solo female travelers?” Well, rest assured that Iceland is a country that has no army, the police do not carry guns and even the President has no bodyguards – for good reason.
In this article, we tell you why you can leave your fears behind when traveling to the island and why Iceland is considered the safest country in the world.
How Safe is Iceland?
Well, in 2022 it was made official yet again. Iceland was named the safest country in the world according to the Global Peace Index (a title it has held for over a decade now).
And it’s easy to see why Iceland is so safe when you look at the Iceland crime rate and data captured during the last in-depth analysis of crime on the island:
Intentional Homicide
Intentional Homicide is legally defined as “the unlawful death purposefully inflicted on a person by another person”. In other words, the intent was to kill from the start.
The number of Intentional Homicides in Iceland hovers around just 5 every year or 1.5 cases per 100 000 population. It is interesting to note that these homicides are very rarely committed using a firearm. A fact that speaks volumes about how safe Iceland is.
Car Theft
Car Theft is legally defined as “the theft of motor vehicles, excluding motorcycles, commercial vehicles, buses, lorries, construction, and agricultural vehicles”. The number of car thefts in Iceland is roughly 29 per year or 8.5 cases per 100 000 population.
Burglary
Burglary is legally defined as “gaining unauthorized access to a part of a building/dwelling or other premises, including by use of force with the intent to steal goods (breaking and entering). This includes theft from a house, apartment, or other dwelling place. Factory like shop or office. From a military establishment or by using false keys.
It excludes theft from a car, from a container, from a vending machine, from a parking meter and from a fenced meadow/compound”. The number of burglaries committed in Iceland is roughly 1059 per year or 310.3 cases per 100 000 population.
Assault
Assault is legally defined as “a physical attack against the body of another person resulting in serious bodily injury, excluding indecent/sexual assault.
Threats and slapping/punching. Assault leading to death is excluded”. There are about 122 assaults that take place in Iceland each year or 36.2 cases per 100 000 population.
Kidnapping
Kidnapping is legally defined as “an act or instance or the crime of seizing, confining, inveigling, abducting, or carrying away a person by force or fraud”. Currently, this is not a crime that occurs on the island.
Rape
Rape is legally defined as “sexual intercourse without valid consent”. In Iceland, there are about 178 instances of rape each year, or 54 cases per 100 000 population.
Robbery
Robbery is legally defined as “the theft of property from a person. Overcoming resistance by force or threat of force. This includes muggings (bag-snatching) and theft with violence, but excludes pickpocketing and extortion”. There are approximately 49 robbery cases in Iceland each year or 14.7 cases per 100 000 population.
How Safe is Iceland? The Stats in Perspective
It can be tough to understand these statistics without any context. So, to show you exactly how low some of these numbers are, we’ll compare these numbers with the crime rate statistics of the US:
Crime | Iceland Crime Rate (Cases per 100 000 population) | US Crime Rate (Cases per 100 000 population) |
Intentional Homicide | 1.5 | 6.5 |
Car Theft | 8.5 | 219.4 |
Assault | 36.2 | 246.8 |
Robbery | 14.7 | 86.2 |
Why is Iceland the Safest Country in the World?
There are a few reasons why Iceland is able to be the safest country in the world. This includes:
There are no extremely dangerous animals. It’s not always our fellow humans that are a threat to our safety as Australia can attest to, and in Iceland, the biggest worry is running into an Arctic Fox that looks like the wild version of a cute, fluffy Pomeranian.
There is barely any air pollution. Yes, it’s not just the animals in your environment that can kill you. There’s a good reason why so many in Japan wear face masks on a daily basis. Polluted air can cause all sorts of life-threatening illnesses and conditions.
There are extremely strict road rules and you are only allowed to drive a maximum of 90km/h. They say the chance of someone dying in a car crash is roughly 1% compared to being a victim of a violent crime (just 0.005%). So these strict road rules definitely drastically bring that number down even further.
The population is incredibly small. That means that even if a crime is committed, the suspect pool is not nearly as large as in other countries. And, since Iceland also has that typical “small town” feeling, you can bet your life that there will be plenty of residents with theories regarding the culprit.
The population is happy. Everyone enjoys equal rights, people are well paid and the unemployment rate is practically non-existent (4%).
It’s an island with only a few ways off of it. That means that even if a crime is committed, you almost need to grow wings to ensure that you’ll get away with it.
The very nature of the Icelanders. Even though the Icelanders come from a lineage of ferocious warriors called Vikings, it’s hard to see these traits in the country’s locals today. Icelanders are incredibly friendly, and loving and are incredibly open-minded and tolerant of others.
And although one has some bad apples in any country and culture, it’s hard to believe that any of the general Icelanders have a bad bone in their body.
The “Is Iceland Safe?” Conundrum Solved
Hopefully, by now we have answered any/safety questions including “is Iceland safe to travel?”, “is Iceland safe for tourists?” and “is Iceland safe to travel alone?” So, now it’s time to come and feel this sense of safety and security for yourself and enjoy the magnificent scenery that is (officially) unmatched anywhere else in the world. See you when you travel to Iceland soon!