Here’s where Ireland ranks on safest countries list amid WW3 fears

The revelation comes as fears of a World War grow.

There are now fears of a potential Third World War, following a series of airstrikes across the Middle East in a major spike in escalation of tensions and the drone strike on a RAF base in Cyprus.

After a joint US-Israeli military operation and the death of the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, there are now fears of the conflict growing even further.

The attack prompted retaliation from Iran, with missiles reported to have targeted Israel and countries across the Middle East, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain.

But what countries are safe amid fears of a Third World War breaking out, and where does Ireland rank in the mix?

The Express has looked at which nations are considered the most peaceful, following a major escalation in the Middle East.

The 2025 Global Peace Index (GPI), covers 99.7% of the world’s population and is calculated “using 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from highly respected sources”.

The index measures the state of peace across three areas; the level of societal safety and security, the extent of ongoing domestic and international conflict and the degree of militarisation.

Iceland came out in first place in the most recent rankings, with the country having never taken part in a full-scale war or invasion and is geographically remote, one potential advantage in conflict.

The country has no military but is a member of NATO, meaning it comes under the alliance’s Article 5 collective defence clause - an attack on one, is an attack on all.

Ireland came second in the 2025 GPI rankings. The country maintains a policy of military neutrality but does have a small defence force.

New Zealand ranks third, being one of the world’s most remote nations in the south-western Pacific. While it does have a military, it is generally considered very safe.

It would be a safer haven in the event of a Third World War, with fighting probably to be concentrated elsewhere, due to its physical isolation from the rest of the world.

Other countries that make the top 10 of the 2025 GPI list include Austria, Singapore, Finland, Denmark and Switzerland.

Households urged to buy one crucial item to prepare for war

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Households are being urged to buy one appliance to prepare for the potential outbreak of WW3, or other mass disruptions like another pandemic, internet outages, and extreme weather conditions.

The government runs a website to prepare the public for national disruptions including war, extreme weather and cyber attacks.

As part of its list of advice for households, people are being told to buy one crucial item – battery or wind-up radios.

This is because this type of radio doesn’t need power from the National Grid, which may be disrupted during a crisis. You can get a wind-up radio from Amazon here for your home emergency kit. And it can be used for activities such as hiking and camping.

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