🇵🇹 Portuguese Republic
Visiting: Safe
Few places are safer to visit than Portugal. Two measures stand out: there is no conflict at all and freedom is as good as it gets, both ranking 1st. Its weakest measure is still inside the top third: road deaths are low, placed 46th. LGBT rights are among the very strongest, violent crime is close to non-existent and women's safety is good, with all three ranking between 14th and 26th.
Homicide
Intentional homicides per 100,000 people — lower is better.
Portugal: 0.7
Ranked 18th in the world for the lowest homicide rate.
Why this rank?
Under one killing per 100,000 people a year is inside the line that marks the safest countries.
Is it safe to visit?
One of the safest countries in Europe to visit.
Road Fatalities
Road-traffic deaths per 100,000 people per year — lower is better.
Portugal: 7.2
Ranked 46th in the world for the safest roads.
Why this rank?
Seven deaths per 100,000 people a year is low but close to seven and a half, which is half the world average.
Is it safe to visit?
Safe by world standards.
Conflict — world number one
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.
Portugal: 1.00
Ranked 1st least conflict-affected country in the world.
Why this rank?
Nothing on record. The Uppsala conflict database has never recorded a conflict death in Portugal since its records began in 1989.
Is it safe to visit?
Nothing to think about. Europe's quiet Atlantic corner.
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.
Portugal: 10.00
Ranked 1st freest country in the world.
Why this rank?
In Portugal every one of the six freedoms scores the full 4. Total 24 of 24.
Is it safe to visit?
All six freedoms fully respected. The concerns are corruption, some legal constraints on journalism and prison conditions. Nothing here touches a visitor.
LGBT Rights
LGBT equality in law and daily life — higher is better.
Portugal: 7.7
Ranked 14th most equal in the world for LGBT people.
Why this rank?
Marriage has been legal since 2010, adoption since 2016 and self-ID since 2018, a full house achieved early. The law index scores 94, public opinion 60.
Is it safe to visit?
Fine. Lisbon and Porto are open and easy, and acceptance is broad despite the country's Catholic roots.
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.
Portugal: 8.46
Ranked 26th safest country in the world for women.
Why this rank?
Two in three women feel safe out alone at night and violence at home is rare. The courts rate only fairly, and that is what holds it back.
Is it safe to visit?
A woman travelling alone is safe in Portugal.