A new study conducted by Forbes Advisor has revealed the safest countries in Europe to go on holiday this year. The study analyzed metrics such as the quality of bathing waters, the quality of healthcare, the rate of thefts and homicides, and air quality, and merged the results into a final safety score, to find out what the safest destinations are.

Romania occupies a rather unfortunate spot on the list, coming in fourth to last, with a Safety Score of 61.1 (out of 100).

This is due to its lower quality of healthcare,  and a comparatively high rate of homicides of 13.2 per million people. The level of air pollution is mid-range, registering 15.3 on the Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) Scale. And while none of Romania’s bathing waters are considered to be of poor quality, only 70% have been rated as excellent. One thing in favor of the country is that the rate of theft is one of the lowest in Europe, coming in at around 494 per 100,000 people.   

The only countries lower in the ranking than Romania are Estonia, Albania, and coming in last, the United Kingdom with a score of 41.2.

The top three countries on the list are Switzerland, Slovenia, and Portugal. According to the findings, Switzerland is the safest country to visit this year, with a Safety Score of 88.3.

Switzerland has the best quality of healthcare out of all the 29 European countries analyzed in the research. When it comes to the quality of bathing waters, it ranks sixth, with 93% of bathing waters in the country being of excellent quality, based on data from the European Environment Agency.  It also has the tenth cleanest air on the list. And has a reasonably low crime rate, with an annual rate of 5.7 homicides per million people. However, it does have one of the higher rates of theft on the list, with 1,602 per 100,000 people.

Slovenia is the second safest country to travel to according to the findings, with a Safety Score of 82.3. Its level of pollution is relatively low, and 85% of the country’s bathing waters are rated as excellent. The country ranks around midway when it comes to theft, as its rate is around 855 per 100,000 people. But it has one of the lowest homicide rates on the list, amounting to 4.8 per million people.

A Safety Score of 82.1 makes Portugal one of the safest countries to visit this summer. Ranking seventh for its excellent quality of water (93%),  Portugal comes fourth in the ranking of air quality, with one of the lowest pollution rates in Europe. The country has one of the lower homicide rates, at 7.1 per million people, and a theft rate of 799 per 100,000 people. Additionally, Portugal ranks tenth for healthcare quality.

Still in the „over 80 points” category are Austria and Germany, which are neck in neck across pretty much all categories, bringing them a Safety Score of 81.4 and 81.2 respectively.

The full ranking below:

maia@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Radub85 | Dreamstime.com)