The safest countries to go to if WW3 breaks out - full list
Politicians, analysts and military personnel agree that a dangerous period in human history is arising - but where are the world's safe havens in the event of WW3?
The wars in Ukraine and Gaza have the potential to drag in the planet's most militarised states, raising the prospect of the most devastating conflict in human history.
(Image: Getty)With wars kicking off in nearly every corner of the planet, fears of a spiral towards WW3 continue to gather pace. A war is well and truly underway in Europe, another in the Middle East, and with China eyeing Taiwan, people can be forgiven for wondering where in the world would remain safe if conflicts continue to emerge.
Over the weekend, Iran launched drone strikes on Israel, which itself is conducting a bloody and complex war in the Gaza Strip. The UK and US both intervened to assist the Israelis in bringing down the unmanned aircraft over the Syria-Iraq border.
With the allies of major global players embroiled in conflicts, the spectre of the world's most powerful states engaging each other in a hot war for the first time since 1945 feels closer than ever.
A third international war would likely be the most dangerous armed engagement the world has ever known. With nine nuclear states - the US, UK, Russia, France, China, Israel, India, Pakistan and North Korea - the planet's nations have never been better armed.
As such, the prospect of WW3 is blood-curdling and may leave many wondering where on earth would be safe if a global war was to erupt.
Express.co.uk has picked through some of the safest nations to flee to if such a worldwide disaster was to unfold.
New Zealand has become something of a by-word for safe haven in recent years. Silicon Valley billionaire Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, told the New Yorker in 2016 that he had an agreement with Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal, that in the event of some kind of apocalyptic episode they would both charter a private jet to Thiel's 477-acre property on New Zealand's South Island.
It's easy to understand the appeal of New Zealand for those seeking security in an unstable and insecure world. The country is 932 miles from Australia, which itself is pretty remote, and yet unlike many other of the world's far flung destinations, New Zealand is economically developed.
The impressive urban centres and plentiful natural resources makes New Zealand an obvious choice for nuclear boltholes for the world's super rich.
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Lining much of the Pacific coast of South America, Chile is far removed from the likely major WW3 conflict zones.
What's more it's one of the most economically developed states in South America and has a strong relationship with both the UK and US.
Santiago, the country's capital, is a city of over 5 million people and is used to welcoming visitors from around the world. The bustling metropolis doesn't feel far removed from any other western city.
Given it's long coastline - the longest in the world, in fact - Chile's natural resources are many, so the country is well-placed to sustain itself in the event of a far-reaching war.
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Like New Zealand, the Pacific island of Fiji is an attractive option for those seeking to flee conflict due to it being remote, really remote.
At around 1,300 miles north of New Zealand, the Fijian archipelago - which comprises over 100 inhabited islands - should be well isolated in the event of WW3.
However, unlike New Zealand, Fiji's not as big or economically developed. The country's population is around 900,000 and it's biggest city, Suva, is home to only around 90,000 people.
That said, the country does have several urban settlements, as well as traditional villages, as well as access to natural resources. Plus, as a former British colony, Fiji has close ties to the UK.
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One of the few European nations that would likely be safe to move to, Iceland benefits from similar isolation as most of the other countries on our list. That said, it's by no means the most remote nation we've included.
Iceland is about 500 miles to the north west of Scotland, about 590 miles to the west of Norway and around 170 miles east of Greenland.
It's a small country, with a population of around 380,000 as of 2022. It's access to renewable energy and natural resources makes it a very good option to flee to in the event of WW3.
But bring a coat, it only gets to about 14C maximum in the summer and sinks to between -10C and -25C in the winter.
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