Is New Zealand safe in 2026?
New Zealand scores 96.1/100 on the live safety index — very safe. The main pressure on the score comes from natural disasters. The score has been stable for 8 days. The 24-hour AI forecast calls the trend stable (projected 96.0/100).
96.1 /100very safe
30-day trend
New Zealand's score changed by −0.9 over the last 30 days (97.0 → 96.1) — within normal day-to-day noise. No single event moved the index.
Threat breakdown
| Category | Pressure | Score / cap |
|---|---|---|
| Natural disasters | 1.9 / 5 | |
| Economy | 0.5 / 8 | |
| Ecology | 0.1 / 1 | |
| Crime | 0.7 / 15 | |
| Political instability | 0.4 / 15 | |
| Internet freedom | 0.1 / 7 | |
| Public health | 0.0 / 3 | |
| Military conflict | 0.3 / 30 | |
| Nuclear risk | 0.0 / 12 | |
| Sanctions | 0.0 / 4 |
Higher category scores mean more threat pressure; each category is capped by its weight in the 0–100 index. How scores are computed.
Official travel advisory
1 Exercise Normal Precautions
The U.S. State Department places New Zealand at Level 1 — Exercise Normal Precautions. Our live index reads 96.1/100. That advisory was last revised Apr 29, 2026, 125 days ago; the index above is recomputed continuously from current reporting.
Source: U.S. Department of State, revised Apr 29, 2026. Levels run 1 (normal precautions) to 4 (do not travel). This page is not travel advice.
Latest recorded events
- Fires break out in New Zealand, strong winds complicate firefighting efforts
- New Zealand to introduce bill banning social media for children under 16
- New Zealand passes law blocking climate action against companies: ‘dark day for democracy’
- 'Voter suppression by stealth'
- New Zealanders abroad urged to enroll for the election as new law locks out last-minute voters
- New Zealand is Racing to Vaccinate Its Endangered Birds Against Bird Flu - Conservation experts are trying to slow the march of the viral disease in a country that is home to rare and endangered bird species.
24-hour forecast
Trend: stable · projected score 96.0/100 (generated )
Fires and weather disruptions are localized, while broader safety conditions remain resilient.
Compared with nearby countries
| Country | Score | 0–100 | vs New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 96.1 | — | |
| Norfolk Island | 95.7 | −0.4 | |
| Tonga | 91.0 | −5.1 | |
| New Caledonia | 89.9 | −6.2 | |
| Fiji | 89.9 | −6.2 | |
| Niue | 95.4 | −0.7 |