Most Dangerous Countries in 2026
August 26, 2026 — Rankings updated daily from 40+ data sources
These countries currently have the lowest safety scores based on our analysis of 40+ data sources. Exercise extreme caution or avoid travel to these destinations.
Biggest movers (last 7 days)
- 1 South Sudan 3.6 South Sudan scores 3.6/10 — strongest pillar: environment (5.4/10); area to watch: governance (1.4/10). Advisory consensus across 11 governments: do not travel.
- 2 Sudan 3.6 Sudan scores 3.6/10 — strongest pillar: crime (5.3/10); area to watch: conflict (2.3/10). Advisory consensus across 14 governments: do not travel.
- 3 Yemen 3.7 Yemen scores 3.7/10 — strongest pillar: crime (5.1/10); area to watch: governance (1.3/10). Advisory consensus across 12 governments: do not travel.
- 4 Mali 3.7 Mali scores 3.7/10 — strongest pillar: environment (4.6/10); area to watch: conflict (3.0/10). Advisory consensus across 16 governments: do not travel.
- 5 Afghanistan 3.8 Afghanistan scores 3.8/10 — strongest pillar: crime (5.1/10); area to watch: governance (1.8/10). Advisory consensus across 18 governments: do not travel.
- 6 Democratic Republic of the Congo 3.9 Democratic Republic of the Congo scores 3.9/10 — strongest pillar: environment (5.3/10); area to watch: governance (1.9/10). Advisory consensus across 10 governments: do not travel.
- 7 Central African Republic 3.9 Central African Republic scores 3.9/10 — strongest pillar: environment (5.4/10); area to watch: governance (1.9/10). Advisory consensus across 13 governments: do not travel.
- 8 Somalia 3.9 Somalia scores 3.9/10 — strongest pillar: environment (4.7/10); area to watch: governance (2.8/10). Advisory consensus across 14 governments: do not travel.
- 9 Haiti 3.9 Haiti scores 3.9/10 — strongest pillar: environment (5.8/10); area to watch: governance (2.5/10). Advisory consensus across 16 governments: do not travel.
- 10 Syria 4.0 Syria scores 4.0/10 — strongest pillar: crime (5.6/10); area to watch: conflict (2.7/10). Advisory consensus across 12 governments: do not travel.
- 11 Russia 4.0 Russia scores 4.0/10 — strongest pillar: crime (6.0/10); area to watch: conflict (2.4/10). Advisory consensus across 12 governments: do not travel.
- 12 Ukraine 4.1 Ukraine scores 4.1/10 — strongest pillar: crime (6.4/10); area to watch: conflict (2.3/10). Advisory consensus across 16 governments: do not travel.
- 13 Chad 4.1 Chad scores 4.1/10 — strongest pillar: environment (4.9/10); area to watch: governance (1.3/10). Advisory consensus across 14 governments: do not travel.
- 14 Niger 4.2 Niger scores 4.2/10 — strongest pillar: crime (5.9/10); area to watch: health (3.0/10). Advisory consensus across 14 governments: do not travel.
- 15 Iran 4.2 Iran scores 4.2/10 — strongest pillar: crime (5.9/10); area to watch: governance (2.9/10). Advisory consensus across 15 governments: do not travel.
- 16 Myanmar 4.4 Myanmar scores 4.4/10 — strongest pillar: crime (5.7/10); area to watch: governance (2.2/10). Advisory consensus across 11 governments: reconsider travel.
- 17 Iraq 4.5 Iraq scores 4.5/10 — strongest pillar: crime (5.5/10); area to watch: governance (2.8/10). Advisory consensus across 13 governments: do not travel.
- 18 Nigeria 4.6 Nigeria scores 4.6/10 — strongest pillar: crime (5.5/10); area to watch: health (2.8/10). Advisory consensus across 13 governments: reconsider travel.
- 19 Burkina Faso 4.7 Burkina Faso scores 4.7/10 — strongest pillar: environment (6.1/10); area to watch: health (3.5/10). Advisory consensus across 18 governments: exercise normal precautions.
- 20 Palestine 4.8 Palestine scores 4.8/10 — strongest pillar: environment (7.3/10); area to watch: conflict (2.9/10). Advisory consensus across 7 governments: do not travel.
- 21 Lebanon 4.8
- 22 Pakistan 4.8
- 23 Libya 4.9
- 24 Venezuela 4.9
- 25 Cameroon 5.1
- 26 Ethiopia 5.2
- 27 North Korea 5.3
- 28 Colombia 5.5
- 29 Mozambique 5.6
- 30 India 5.6
- 31 Congo 5.6
- 32 Burundi 5.7
- 33 Eritrea 5.8
- 34 Mauritania 5.8
- 35 Ecuador 5.9
- 36 Uganda 5.9
- 37 Togo 5.9
- 38 Guinea 5.9
- 39 Philippines 5.9
- 40 Mexico 5.9
- 41 Nicaragua 5.9
- 42 Belarus 5.9
- 43 Turkey 6.0
- 44 Cambodia 6.0
- 45 Bangladesh 6.1
- 46 Kenya 6.1
- 47 Israel 6.2
- 48 Madagascar 6.3
- 49 Benin 6.3
- 50 Indonesia 6.3
How this ranking differs from the Global Peace Index
This is not a repackaged Global Peace Index: GPI signals account for less than a third of the weight. Each score blends five pillars — conflict, crime, health, governance and environment — with a calibrated consensus of travel advisories from 37 governments, recomputed daily as an uncertainty-weighted geometric mean, so one weak pillar drags a country down more than a strong one lifts it. Full details on the Methodology page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do these countries have such low safety scores?
Low scores are driven by active armed conflict, high violent-crime rates, weak healthcare and governance, or severe natural hazards. Because the score is a weighted geometric mean of five pillars (conflict 30%, crime 25%, health 20%, governance 15%, environment 10%), a critical failure in any single pillar pulls the overall 1-10 score down sharply.
What does a Level 4 "Do Not Travel" advisory mean?
Level 4 is the highest warning issued by government travel advisories such as the US State Department's, indicating life-threatening risks. In our methodology, a Level 4 advisory weighs heavily toward a low overall score, on top of whatever the other pillars show — there is no fixed cap.
Can you still travel to the most dangerous countries?
Travel is sometimes possible but strongly discouraged: insurance may be void, embassies may offer no consular help, and conditions can change within hours. If a trip is essential, check daily-updated advisories — our scores are recalculated every day from 40+ public sources.