🇳🇱 Kingdom of the Netherlands (Nederland)
Visiting: Safest
The Netherlands is very safe. Two measures stand out: freedom is as good as it gets, ranking 1st, and LGBT rights are among the very strongest, at 14th. Where it lags is conflict: there is some exposure, placed 66th, though that is still inside the top half. Violent crime is close to non-existent, women's safety is exceptionally good and road deaths are low, with all three ranking between 16th and 22nd.
Homicide
Intentional homicides per 100,000 people — lower is better.
Netherlands: 0.6
Ranked 16th in the world for the lowest homicide rate.
Why this rank?
Under one killing per 100,000 people a year is comfortably inside the line that marks the safest countries.
Is it safe to visit?
Fine for a visitor. Violence is rare.
Why we updated the score?
Statistics Netherlands has its 2025 count out, the fewest on record. The UN takes its figure from that office, so we used the new count.
Road Fatalities
Road-traffic deaths per 100,000 people per year — lower is better.
Netherlands: 4.3
Ranked 22nd in the world for the safest roads.
Why this rank?
Just over four deaths per 100,000 people a year is a whisker under the EU average of four and a half.
Is it safe to visit?
Safe by world standards. On a bike is where the care is needed.
Why we updated the score?
Statistics Netherlands has its 2025 count out, up on 2021. The WHO's 2021 figure was that office's own count, so we used the newer one.
Conflict
Conflict deaths inside the country in the last twelve months, as recorded by the Uppsala conflict database, civilians killed on purpose, and any UN sanctions or court order over a war. The worst of those sets the colour. Lower is better.
Netherlands: 1.09
Ranked 66th least conflict-affected country in the world.
Why this rank?
Nothing in twenty-five years. The last conflict death the Uppsala conflict database records in the Netherlands was in May 1990.
Is it safe to visit?
Nothing to think about. Nothing armed anywhere near it.
Freedom — world number one
Six freedoms rated 0–4 by Freedom House — protest, speech, press, religion, movement and due process. The weakest rating sets the colour, and the total places the country inside it — higher is better.
Netherlands: 10.00
Ranked 1st freest country in the world.
Why this rank?
In the Netherlands every one of the six freedoms scores the full 4. Total 24 of 24.
Is it safe to visit?
All six freedoms fully respected. A strong record of safeguarding political rights and civil liberties. Nothing here touches a visitor.
LGBT Rights
LGBT equality in law and daily life — higher is better.
Netherlands: 7.7
Ranked 14th most equal in the world for LGBT people.
Why this rank?
It was the first country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage, in 2001, and adoption, anti-discrimination law and gender recognition are all long settled. The law index scores 90, public opinion 64.
Is it safe to visit?
Fine. Acceptance is about as deep as it gets and couples are visible everywhere, though occasional street harassment has not vanished entirely.
Women's Safety
Women's safety — feeling safe out at night, political violence against women, a fair hearing in court, and how normal violence at home is, with the night figure setting a floor on the colour — higher is better.
Netherlands: 8.60
Ranked 20th safest country in the world for women.
Why this rank?
Sixty-nine percent of women feel safe out alone at night, the courts rate high, and violence at home is rare.
Is it safe to visit?
Few countries are safer for a woman travelling alone than The Netherlands.