Safest places in the world if World War III broke out

According to a 2023 study, Australia and New Zealand are best placed to repopulate the human race in terms of a nuclear catastrophe.

A study published in the journal Risk Analysis identifies Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu as the island nations most capable of sustaining their populations with adequate food after a major "sunlight-reducing catastrophe," such as a nuclear war, supervolcano eruption, or asteroid impact.

"Australia's food supply buffer is gigantic, with the potential to feed many tens of millions of extra people. Good-quality infrastructure, vast energy surplus, the second highest health security in the world, and triple the defence spending of any other island in our analysis, all suggest that Australia has the potential to thrive during an ASRS," co-authors Prof Nick Wilson and Dr Matt Boyd wrote.

They were, however, quick to add that Australia's alliance with the UK and the US could make it a nuclear target.

New Zealand on the other hand scores big in terms of its detachment from any form of military alliance.

“We have this super efficient food export economy that could feed New Zealanders multiple times over just from exports,” said Prof Nick Wilson. 

The study finds that Iceland’s small economy would likely face challenges from a lack of imports and infrastructure breakdown. However, it might still have access to North America, the UK, and Europe, provided these regions aren't entirely devastated by war, famine, or social collapse.

In other words, these regions are characterised by their distance from major conflict zones and geopolitical hotspots, making them less likely to be drawn into large-scale conflicts.