Why the West Mislabels Serbia: A Deep Dive into Global Safety Rankings

The West often paints Serbia as a dangerous or unstable destination. But is that really true? In this article, we’ll review the facts behind a recent U.S. travel alert and compare Serbia’s peace and safety rankings to those of North America.

A new article from Travel and Tour World reported that the U.S. issued travel alerts for several countries, including:

• Morocco

• Brazil

• Peru

• UK

• France

• Serbia

• India

• Chile
  
  

These alerts cite concerns over terrorism, violent crime, and civil unrest.

The U.S. State Department’s advisory for Serbia points to:

"Violence related to organized crime and sports hooliganism—particularly during large-scale events."

While this sounds alarming, it mirrors the same content listed on the U.S. Embassy Serbia’s website for years. In truth, everyday life in Serbia is peaceful for tourists and residents who avoid criminal circles and stay clear of political demonstrations.

Insider Note: If you “keep your nose clean,” Serbia is a very safe country to visit and live in.

Many North Americans confuse Serbia with:

• Siberia (Russia)

• Syria (Middle East)
  
  

Despite the confusion, there’s a growing wave of American clients—especially from California, Wisconsin, New York, and Ohio—choosing Serbia as a new home. Why? Because they’ve done their research and realized the media narrative doesn’t match the reality.

One of our recent clients, a man in his 70s from Wisconsin, brought his car to Serbia and told us:

“I’m done with the United States. It’s not the country it used to be. Serbia feels safer.”

To separate myth from fact, we reviewed global rankings from Vision of Humanity which compiles:

• Global Peace Index (GPI)

• Global Terrorism Index (GTI)
  
  

🔹 Global Peace Index (2024 Data)

This index uses 23 indicators to assess the peacefulness of a country (lower = better):

📌 Takeaway: Serbia ranks 78 places ahead of the U.S. in terms of peace.

🔹 Global Terrorism Index

Measured by incidents, injuries, fatalities, and hostage events over 5 years:

📌 Takeaway: Serbia is considered safer from terrorism than both the U.S. and Canada.

Despite hard data, Western media rarely acknowledges that places like Serbia can be peaceful and stable. Meanwhile, when sports riots or civil unrest happen in North America, it’s often portrayed as an exception—not a systemic issue.

Consider:

• In Canada and the U.S., sports wins often result in riots, vandalism, and car flipping.

• In Serbia, sports events may be rowdy—but large-scale property damage is rare.
  
  

"You’ll see wild fans in the stadium, but not torching downtown like in North America." — Relocation Serbia Team

As we enter peak tourism season, more people are considering Serbia not just for a vacation—but for relocation. Our team at Relocation Serbia has recently helped:

• A couple from Holland relocate to Belgrade

• A family from Malaysia move to Novi Sad

• A man from Ontario, Canada (who lived in Mexico for years) settle in Serbia with his Serbian-born wife
  
  

People around the world are waking up to the idea that Serbia offers:

• Lower cost of living

• Higher perceived safety

• Cultural familiarity (especially for Europeans)

• Strong community and hospitality

Don’t let outdated headlines or embassy warnings mislead you. Serbia is not only safe—it often ranks far safer than the U.S. or Canada in multiple global indexes. If you’re considering relocating or traveling here, we encourage you to come and see for yourself.

👉 Ready to explore Serbia? Contact Relocation Serbia to get personalized help with your move.