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Safest Countries in South America (2026)

Every South American country in our catalog ranked by safety for 2026. Higher scores reflect stronger day-to-day personal safety for residents.

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South America is not one safety profile. Quiet Southern Cone streets are not the same as a dense Andean megacity. This list ranks every South American country in our catalog by day-to-day safety for someone actually living there.

Use Compare when you are weighing two finalists, and check current guidance for cities and border regions before you book.

Safety Score on the map

Higher score = stronger safety

Tap a country to see its score.

Safety Score world map
8.5+
7.0–8.4
5.5–6.9
Below 5.5
RankCountrySafety Score
#1Falkland Islands9.3
#2Uruguay8.8
#3Chile8.5
#4Argentina7.2
#5Peru7.2
#6Ecuador7.2
#7Paraguay7.2
#8Colombia7.0
#9Bolivia6.5
#10Brazil6.2
#11Venezuela5.0

Why the leaders rank here for safety

Smaller, higher-trust territories and Southern Cone democracies lead regional safety with lower violent crime and more predictable public order than the region's busiest ports.

  1. #1
    Falkland Islands9.3

    Sparse population and strong institutional order keep day-to-day personal risk very low, though remoteness and limited services shape the lived tradeoff.

  2. #2
    Uruguay8.8

    Montevideo and coastal towns combine approachable street life with among the strongest national safety scores in the region.

  3. #3
    Chile8.5

    Santiago and secondary cities benefit from comparatively strong institutions, though neighborhood choice still matters after dark.

  4. #4
    Argentina7.2

    Many residential barrios feel workable for long stays when you pick corridors carefully and keep normal big-city habits.

  5. #5
    Peru7.2

    National safety sits mid-pack for the region; coastal and highland cities diverge, so treat city choice as part of the safety decision.

Rankings are based on our scoring model. Always verify visa and cost information with official sources before making relocation decisions.

How we calculate these rankings

We filter to South American countries in our geographic model and sort by safety score, highest first. New South American countries added to the catalog appear here automatically.

What this does not measure: Petty crime on one block, natural disaster exposure, or political protests. A high score is a starting point, not a guarantee for every neighborhood.

Updates: Rankings refresh when we redeploy after underlying country data changes.

Explore these countries

Open any country profile for full safety context, visas, and scores. Use compare when you are weighing a shortlist.

Showing top 8 of 11 ranked countries. Scroll the table above for the full list.

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