- Japan is the safest country to visit in Asia, averaging a low rate of deaths from disasters, homicides, and road injuries.
- Oman, Qatar, and Singapore are also among the safest Asian countries for visitors.
- Mongolia ranks bottom as the most dangerous Asian country, with one of the worst homicide rates (4.93 per 100,000 population).
Japan offers the safest holiday experience in Asia, a new study has found.
Asian Geographical, a luxury tour company running trips across the continent, assessed 28 countries in Asia that attract the most tourists. Researchers measured each country against four key risk factors affecting travellers’ safety – the number of road accidents, natural disaster deaths, murder rates, and prisoners per 100,000 population.
Table: The safest countries in Asia
|
Rank |
Country |
Deaths from Road Injury per 100,000 Population |
Number of Deaths and Missing Persons Attributed to Disasters per 100,000 Population |
Homicide Rate per 100,000 Population |
Prison Population per 100,000 Population |
Safety Index (/100) |
|
1 |
Japan |
2.65 |
0.14 |
0.19 |
45 |
91.43 |
|
2 |
Oman |
10.99 |
N/A |
0.26 |
36 |
73.65 |
|
3 |
Qatar |
7.34 |
4.42 |
0.25 |
53 |
72.46 |
|
4 |
Singapore |
2.24 |
3.18 |
0.12 |
201 |
70.94 |
|
5 |
China |
17.4 |
0.05 |
0.20 |
118 |
70.41 |
|
6 |
Maldives |
1.34 |
0.54 |
0.12 |
499 |
68.91 |
|
7 |
United Arab Emirates |
5.91 |
1.66 |
0.52 |
104 |
67.55 |
|
8 |
Sri Lanka |
11.54 |
0.23 |
0.69 |
94 |
67.48 |
|
9 |
Brunei |
3.59 |
2.42 |
N/A |
134 |
66.19 |
|
10 |
South Korea |
6.89 |
2.50 |
0.44 |
109 |
65.58 |
Japan scored a huge 91.43 out of 100 on the safety index, beating its nearest competitor by almost 18 points. The country’s roads are some of the safest on the continent, with deaths related to road injuries per 100,000 people at just 2.65 (the third-lowest). Only 0.14 deaths or missing persons per 100,000 residents are recorded each year due to disasters, while both the homicide rate and prison population per capita also remain low (0.19 and 45, respectively).
Oman ranks second in Asia in terms of safety. The country has the lowest prison population in the study at 36 per 100,000 people. While homicides are less common countrywide (rate of 0.26), deaths due to road injuries are more frequent (rate of 10.99).
Qatar is also among Asia‘s safest countries, ranking third overall. The country’s prison population is one of the lowest at 53 per 100,000 residents, while deaths due to road injuries also remain low at a rate of 7.34.
Singapore is the fourth safest country in Asia, according to the study. In Singapore, the homicide rate is 0.12 for every 100,000 people, with only Indonesia having a lower rate.
China rounds out the top five safest countries in Asia to visit. Visitors in China are less likely to be involved in a disaster, with just 0.05 deaths or missing persons attributed to a disaster per 100,000 population, only higher than Vietnam, which recorded zero deaths or missing people. China’s homicide rate is also among the lowest (rate of 0.20), while deaths due to road injuries were the sixth highest studied (rate of 17.40).
The Maldives has the lowest road death toll with a tiny 1.34 fatalities for every 100,000 people. On the opposite side, Nepal has the highest with a rate of 28.23 road deaths, making its roads some of the deadliest in Asia.
Indonesia proves safest for avoiding murder and Myanmar has the worst murder rate, averaging 100,000 capita rates of 0.06 and 7.62 killings, respectively.
Meanwhile, Georgia has the deadliest natural disasters of all the countries studied, averaging 88.41 disaster-related casualties per 100,000 people.
Prison stats showed huge differences across the region with Oman jailing just 36 prisoners per 100,000 residents, while the Maldives locked up individuals at the highest rate (499).
Mongolia ranks at the bottom as the most dangerous country in Asia to visit, with relatively high rates across all four metrics, particularly its high murder rate of 4.93 killings per 100,000 people.
Armenia ranked second from bottom, mostly due to disaster deaths and disappearances hitting a rate of 77.57. Kazakhstan, Georgia, and Jordan filled out the five most dangerous nations.
“While Asia has many incredibly safe regions, countries, and cities, it is important travellers are aware of the varying danger levels across the continent,” said Harish Kohli, CEO of Asian Geographical Expeditions. “With driving habits and conditions differing greatly from Western countries, tourists should be aware of the best transport to use, and if driving, the customs of each nation’s road network.”
The research showed huge gaps in road safety throughout Asia with Cambodia having the second-highest road death rate at a rate of 18.77 for every 100,000 locals after Nepal, with Myanmar (19.34) and Iran (20.65) close behind.
“Not all safety factors affect tourists equally,” Kohli explained. “The Maldives scores badly on prison numbers, but this hardly affects holiday safety compared to road dangers or murder rates, where the country does extremely well.
“Our analysis gives travellers solid facts to help them choose destinations based on their comfort with risk. Different people accept different risk levels, and we recommend everyone checks specific safety issues for any country they plan to visit.”
