Is Spain Truly One of the Safest Countries in the World? A Data-Driven Analysis
Recent claims by a politician from the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), asserting that Spain is among the safest countries globally, have sparked debate. To verify this statement, we delve into various international indices and data sources to analyze Spain's safety ranking in comparison to other European nations and worldwide.
Political Context of the Safety Claim
The debate arose during a parliamentary session where Justice Minister Félix Bolaños criticized Miguel Tellado of the People's Party (Partido Popular) for using language reminiscent of the far-right Vox party. Bolaños argued that Tellado's rhetoric, linking immigration to crime, contributed to an inaccurate perception of public safety in Spain. Bolaños stated that "You don't realise that the underlying message of your speech, identifying immigration with crime, talking about an illegitimate government, talking about a public safety problem in our country, which is one of the countries with the highest public safety ratings in the world... you don't realise that your speech only serves to inflame the far right."
Global Peace Index: Spain's Ranking
One key indicator is the Global Peace Index, produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace. This index assesses societal safety and security, the extent of domestic and international conflict, and the degree of militarization. A lower score signifies a more peaceful nation. In the 2025 edition, Spain was ranked as the 25th safest country out of 163 analyzed.
Europe consistently performs well in the Global Peace Index. Four of the top five safest countries are European: Iceland, Ireland, Austria, and Switzerland. Furthermore, eight European nations made it into the top 10, including Portugal, Denmark, Slovenia, and Finland.
Eurostat Data: Homicide Rates in the EU
Eurostat provides additional insight into safety within the European Union. It monitors "quality of life" indicators, including physical safety, which incorporates data on homicide rates, violence, and vandalism. According to Eurostat data, Luxembourg had the lowest homicide rate relative to population size, at 0.32 per 100,000 people. Other low-homicide-rate countries include Italy (0.48), Slovenia (0.52), the Czech Republic (0.53), and Austria (0.61). Spain ranks sixth lowest, with a rate of 0.63.
The countries with the highest homicide rates, according to this metric, are Latvia (4.88), Lithuania (3.54), and Estonia (2.78).
Perception of Safety: Citizen Experiences
Data on perceived crime, violence, and vandalism in neighborhoods, as reported by Eurostat and analyzed by Europe in Motion, reveal further nuances. Based on citizen experiences, Croatia, Lithuania, and Poland are perceived as the safest. Only 1.4% of Croatian citizens reported experiencing anti-social activity, compared to 20.9% in Greece, the highest rate. Spain reports a rate of 13.6%.
Emerging Threats: Organized Crime in the EU
While Spain generally maintains a high safety ranking, a briefing by the European Parliamentary Research Group highlights a growing concern: "violence by criminals involved in organised crime is increasing in the EU, in terms of frequency, severity, visibility and impact." Although Europe remains one of the continents least affected by organized crime, criminal networks are expected to expand their global reach and become more digitally integrated. In response, the EU has implemented new legal and investigative frameworks to combat violence.
