Safest Countries for Investors 2026: Switzerland Tops Henley & Partners Ranking

Switzerland has topped Henley & Partners' ranking of the safest countries to keep capital for the second time in a row. Find out which countries made the top 10, why the US only came in 24th place, and how the rankings changed in the spring update of the index

Book a consultation with a lawyer and resolve legal issues related to your business abroad with professional support!

GET CONSULTATION

Henley & Partners, together with the analytical platform AlphaGeo, updated the rating of the safest countries for preserving capital - the Global Investment Risk and Resilience Index. Switzerland once again took first place, followed by the Scandinavian countries in the top. However, the main value of this study is not in who took first place, but in how quickly the risk picture is changing in a world where geopolitical tension has become commonplace, not the exception.

The rating assesses not the profitability of investments or the growth rate of the economy, but the ability of a country to preserve capital during economic shocks, sanctions pressure or political instability. For analysts, it is not important how much you can earn, but how safe it is to leave what you have already earned there.

Find the seven jurisdictions that are best suited for starting a business in 2026 at the link.

Are you planning to make your business more resilient to unpredictable changes? A personal business lawyer will help you deal with company registration, tax issues and document management so that you can focus on development, not on paper routine. A lawyer accompanies entrepreneurs at any stage - from the first opening of a business to scaling to new markets. This is especially valuable when decisions have to be made quickly and the price of a mistake is high.

Leave a request on the Visit World website, and a specialist will select a solution for your specific case.

How is the rating of the safest countries for investors 2026 calculated?

Henley & Partners analysts assessed 50 countries according to 13 indicators, including the level of inflation, currency risks, quality of public administration, the state of public finances and overall political stability. The researchers deliberately avoided profitability criteria: the index answers only one question - where money feels most comfortable.

The methodology combines two components: risk (Risk Score) and resilience (Resilience Score). The first part captures the country's vulnerability to shocks - from inflationary surges to climate threats, the second - the ability of the economy and institutions to recover from shocks. It is the sum of these two indicators that forms the country's final score on a scale of up to 100.

Visit World services for tourists, migrants, and expats: Insurance | Guides | Legal advice

TOP 10 safest countries for investors 2026 according to Henley & Partners 2026

Switzerland scored 88.4 points out of 100 possible, maintaining its status as a world leader thanks to low inflation, predictable monetary policy and one of the strongest innovation environments on the planet. Denmark received 85.1 points, and Norway - 83.5, closing the top three positions.

In total, the top ten included:

- Switzerland

- Denmark

- Norway

- Singapore

- Sweden

- Luxembourg

- Finland

- Netherlands

- Germany

- Iceland

Nine out of ten positions were taken by European countries. The only representative of another continent was Singapore with 83.4 points - it entered the top 4 thanks to the lowest level of legal and regulatory risks in the world, strong institutions and predictable budget policy.

Photo – finance.ua

Read also who can obtain non-dom status in Greece, what investments are required for this and how to combine the regime with the "Golden Visa".

Why did the picture of the safest countries for investors change significantly in the spring of 2026?

In May 2026, Henley & Partners, together with AlphaGeo, released a special update to the index, recalculating the risk component based on fresh market data Country Risk Premium as of April 1, 2026. The idea is simple: a country’s long-term stability does not change in one month, but market risk perception can jump every week, so the researchers decided to impose this dynamic on the base model.

The result was indicative. The traditional leaders mostly held their positions, although there was some rotation here too: Sweden rose two places and entered the top three, while Norway, on the contrary, dropped two places and took fifth place. The positions of a number of developing countries also increased noticeably - India rose 40 places, the Philippines also added 40 positions, and Turkey, Mexico and Morocco confidently moved up.

The ranking of the best countries for real estate investment in 2026 is here.

Middle East at the center of the risk review

The reason for the spring update of the index was the war between the United States, Israel and Iran, which began in late February 2026. The IMF directly warned that the escalation of the conflict could push the global economy into recession, so Henley & Partners analysts decided to check how this shock is reflected in the investment picture of the world. According to the researchers, the risk premium – not only in the energy sector, but also in other strategic industries – is unlikely to disappear quickly, even if the parties to the conflict reach negotiations.

The reaction of investors was immediate. The number of requests for alternative residency from citizens of Israel and Lebanon increased significantly in the first quarter of 2026. In the Gulf, demand for UAE programs from local clients jumped 41% and applications rose 26%, largely driven by expats seeking a fallback in the event of further escalation. Meanwhile, Turkey and Morocco, which are geographically distant from the active conflict zone, have seen additional demand as relatively safer neighboring jurisdictions.

On the bright side, Gulf states on the front lines of Iranian aggression have demonstrated their ability to protect their populations and critical infrastructure, while high oil prices are supporting the region’s public finances. The researchers also noted a number of countries whose economies are under pressure from war, sanctions or structural instability, including Belarus (down 57 places), Bosnia and Herzegovina (down 32) and Bolivia (down 28). The main conclusion of the study authors: no country can provide a complete guarantee of security on its own, so more and more investors are forming so-called "sovereign portfolios" - consciously distributing capital, residency and business activity between several jurisdictions at once.

The Iranian attacks on Dubai in 2026 destroyed the city's reputation as a safe haven for big capital. Read here where wealth is moving, what alternatives wealthy expatriates choose and what is really needed for a reliable "plan B".

Why did the USA end up only in the middle of the list of the safest countries for investors in 2026?

Despite its status as the largest economy on the planet, the United States ranked only 24th in both the basic version of the index and the May update. The explanation lies in the very logic of the study: it does not reward market size or potential profitability, but assesses the ability to maintain stability during turbulence. In the case of the US, the score is influenced by both the budget deficit, political polarization, and the unpredictability of trade policy in recent years.

It is significant that among the G7 countries, Canada lost the most, dropping four positions, while the UK and the US remained unchanged. This once again confirms the main conclusion of the researchers: the old division into "developed - safe" and "emerging markets - risky" no longer works as clearly as before.

The most attractive countries for investors in 2026 according to Visual Capitalist experts in this selection.

What does the ranking of the safest countries for investors in 2026 mean for those who do business abroad?

The main message of the study is quite straightforward: no single country anymore guarantees complete capital protection. That is why more and more entrepreneurs, including Ukrainian ones, are considering relocating their business, registering a company in another jurisdiction, or opening accounts outside their country of permanent residence as a way to reduce dependence on one market. This is not a matter of panic - it is a rational risk management strategy, which is also recommended by international analysts.

Studies such as the Henley & Partners ranking remind us: relying on the stability of only one country is risky today. More and more entrepreneurs are considering relocating their business abroad as a way to diversify risks and preserve capital in difficult times. A personal lawyer for business accompanies such processes - from choosing the optimal organizational and legal form in a new jurisdiction to obtaining a work visa and remotely launching a company representative office. A lawyer also helps minimize tax risks during relocation and resolve disputes with counterparties if they arise in a new location. Instead of dealing with foreign legislation on your own, entrust this part to a specialist who has already gone this way with other clients.

Leave a request for Visit World to get advice from a personal lawyer for business this week.

Let us remind you! Opening a company abroad in 2026 means simultaneously entering a new market, optimizing taxation and opening the way to residency or citizenship. We have already told you which countries offer the most favorable conditions for business registration, the lowest corporate tax rates and real programs for investors - from Latvia and Hungary to the Caribbean islands and Vanuatu.

Photo – generated by Gemini

Products from Visit World for a comfortable trip:

Travel guide for 200 countries;

Legal advice from a local specialist on visa and migration issues;

Travel insurance around the world (please select the country of interest and citizenship to receive services);

Medical insurance all over the world.

We monitor the accuracy and relevance of our information, so if you notice any errors or inconsistencies, please contact our hotline.