Top 5 Most Dangerous Countries in the World

1. Afghanistan

With a 2022 score of 3.554 (actually slightly safer than 2021's 3.631), Afghanistan remains the most dangerous country in the world for the fifth year in a row. A war-torn country that has been mired in war, revolution, and civil strife for decades, Afghanistan has a higher number of deaths from war and terrorism than any other country in the world—a considerable achievement considering Russia and Ukraine were actually at war for several months while the data was being collected.

2. Yemen

According to the United Nations, Yemen is currently immersed in the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. More than five years of ongoing military conflict has forced 4.3 million people to leave their homes and put 14 million people at risk of starvation and deadly disease. About 80% of the Yemen population (24 million people) is in desperate need of humanitarian assistance.

3. Syria

The Syrian civil war has plagued the country since March 2011 and has been the second-deadliest war of the 21st century. As of March 2019, 5.7 million people had fled Syria, and more than 6 million had been displaced internally. Syria's 2022 GPI of 3.356 can be attributed to ongoing conflict, civil unrest, and widespread violent crime, including robberies, assaults, carjacking, and kidnappings. Armed conflict exists mostly between the government and opposition groups, with little to no rule of law or order in place outside the country’s capital of Juba.

4. Russia

While most of the fighting in the Russo-Ukrainian War is taking place in Ukraine, Russia actually ranked as the more dangerous of the two countries. This is partially due to the fact that Russian army casualties in Ukraine count toward Russia's level of danger and partially due to pre-existing economic stresses and an authoritative government that is often notably hostile to its own populace. Additionally, trade embargoes and other international restrictions on Russia have strained Russia's economy and food trade and placed increased hardship on the Russian people. However, it is also worth noting that the 2022 GPI report covered only the beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian War. It is possible that Ukraine will emerge as the more dangerous country of the two in the 2023 report. Regardless of the two countries' relative position, the repercussions of Russia's war with Ukraine were felt worldwide, particularly in the areas of energy and food scarcity, and are expected to continue reverberating through the 2023 report and beyond, causing rises in metrics including food insecurity, military expenditures, and political instability.

5. South Sudan

The least-peaceful country in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Sudan is hampered by high levels of internal conflict. Although still violently dangerous, the country has experienced an overall improvement in safety from the 2021 GPI to the 2022 GPI, with a notable decrease in both the number of deaths from internal conflict (a 15% reduction) and overall homicide rate, which is the country's lowest since 2011.