According to the 2013 Global Peace Index, New Zealand is the 3rd safest place to live in the world (after Iceland and Denmark). Up against 144 countries, New Zealand was followed by Austria (4th) and Switzerland (5th). Other nations such as the UK (44th) and USA (99th) were much further down the list.
New Zealand is a relaxed and welcoming place to live. We are a modern, secular democratic society and a mix of lifestyles is accepted here. People from many walks of life call New Zealand home and the majority of New Zealanders are honest law-abiding citizens.
Our local police force is strong and you can be assured that all criminal matters are taken seriously. As in any country, there are incidents of crime and New Zealand Police are dedicated to solving and resolving offences. Our robust justice and court systems provide a fair process for those involved as well victim support.
We are a secure nation and pride ourselves on maintaining safe communities. Even our biggest cities are considered some of the top places to live on earth – Auckland (3rd) and Wellington (13th) ranked amongst the best on Mercer’s 2012 Quality of Living survey.
Additionally, New Zealand’s government is trusted and we are tied for first place (with Denmark) as the least corrupt country on earth by Transparency International’s 2013 Corruptions Perception Index.