In the 2025 Belarusian presidential election, nearly 6 million people voted, according to the Central Election Commission. That figure is about 100,000 higher than the 2020 election voter turnout. On January 31, Belarusian Minister of Information Marat Markov, speaking on the "Editors' Club" program on the NEWS.BY YouTube channel, attributed the official election results to the country's high level of safety.
"People probably felt for the first time just how crucial every vote is. They are voting primarily to preserve the peace that has been established, with Belarus currently ranking among the top five safest countries in the world. People have realized that their vote directly influences this," Markov stated.
To verify this claim, the WTF team examined several global rankings. One of them is the 2024 Global Peace Index, compiled by the Institute for Economics and Peace. It evaluates countries based on 23 indicators, including crime rates, terrorism, military expenditures, political stability, prison population, relations with neighboring countries, and others.
Belarus is not to be found among the top five in this ranking. Those positions are held by Iceland, Ireland, Austria, New Zealand, and Singapore. Belarus ranks 112th out of 163 countries, placing it near the bottom of the "medium safety level" category. In Western Europe, only France is classified as having a medium level of safety, while other countries have high or very high levels.
We also reviewed the 2025 Safety Index, published by a consulting firm specializing in "golden visas" and citizenship through investment. This index relies on data from international organizations and research institutes, including the UN, NYA International, Control Risks risk maps, and others. In this ranking, Minsk is placed 83rd out of 181 cities, slightly ahead of Paris, Brussels, Riga, and Athens. However, it lags behind other European capitals in terms of safety.
Additionally, we looked into the Women, Peace, and Security Index, published by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security. This index evaluates countries based on three main criteria: women's safety, civic engagement, and access to justice. Belarus ranks 69th out of 177 countries, the lowest in Europe, excluding war-torn Ukraine.
We have been able to find only one ranking where our country holds a high position — the Global Terrorism Index. It shows that Belarus has zero impact of terrorism. Just like over seventy other countries around the world.
