Keypoints:
- Mauritius ranks as Africa’s safest country in 2025
- Southern Africa dominates the top of the rankings
- West Africa shows pockets of strong stability
MAURITIUS has been ranked as Africa’s safest country in 2025, according to new data published by World Population Review, reinforcing the island nation’s reputation for political stability, low crime and strong state institutions.
The rankings, drawn from the Global Peace Index (GPI), place Mauritius sixty-second globally, making it the highest-ranked African country for safety. Botswana and Namibia follow, highlighting Southern Africa’s continued strength in peace and stability metrics.
The Global Peace Index assesses countries using indicators such as violent crime, political instability, militarisation and exposure to internal or external conflict. World Population Review uses this framework to compare safety outcomes across the world.
Full list: Africa’s safest countries in 2025
Below is the complete list of African countries appearing on the World Population Review safety ranking for 2025, ordered by global position.
| Global rank | Country | Region |
| 62 | Mauritius | Southern Africa |
| 79 | Botswana | Southern Africa |
| 86 | Namibia | Southern Africa |
| 91 | The Gambia | West Africa |
| 93 | Sierra Leone | West Africa |
| 95 | Madagascar | Southern Africa |
| 97 | Ghana | West Africa |
| 99 | Zambia | Southern Africa |
| 116 | Tunisia | North Africa |
| 120 | Morocco | North Africa |
| 127 | Algeria | North Africa |
| 129 | Cote d’Ivoire | West Africa |
| 134 | Eswatini | Southern Africa |
| 142 | Egypt | North Africa |
Source: World Population Review, drawing on Global Peace Index data (2025).
Southern Africa sets the pace
Mauritius’ top ranking reflects long-standing strengths including effective governance, social cohesion and a record of peaceful political transitions. Botswana continues to benefit from stable democratic norms and prudent economic management, while Namibia’s calm post-independence trajectory has insulated it from wider regional instability.
World Population Review notes that countries in this group typically score well due to ‘low levels of internal conflict and comparatively strong rule-of-law institutions’.
West Africa challenges assumptions
West Africa’s presence in the top tier complicates common perceptions of the region as uniformly insecure. Ghana, The Gambia and Sierra Leone all feature within the global top 100, reflecting democratic consolidation, post-conflict recovery and improving governance.
Ghana’s ranking reinforces its role as a stabilising force in the sub-region, while Sierra Leone’s progress highlights the long-term dividends of peacebuilding efforts.
Uneven outcomes in North Africa
North African countries recorded more modest scores. Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria and Egypt all ranked lower than their Southern and West African counterparts, reflecting ongoing political tensions, economic pressures and periodic unrest.
Why the rankings matter
Safety rankings influence tourism flows, foreign investment decisions and international perception. Countries with stronger peace scores tend to attract longer-term capital and face lower economic costs linked to insecurity.
The 2025 results underline Africa’s diversity, revealing not a single security narrative, but a continent marked by contrasts, resilience and emerging zones of stability.
