World Map of Peace
The most dangerous countries in the world
Russia ranks last in the Global Peace Index 2026, followed by Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ukraine and Israel. What the ranking says about the least safe countries in the world, and what it does not
Key points at a glance
- According to the Global Peace Index 2026, the most dangerous country in the world is Russia, in 163rd place out of 163 with a score of 3.367.
- The last five places are held by Russia, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ukraine and Israel.
- Since 2008, the 25 least peaceful countries have deteriorated by 18.9 percent on average, the 25 most peaceful by only 0.3 percent.
- The index compares whole states. Whether a trip is safe is answered by the travel and safety advice of the German Federal Foreign Office.
In numbers
3.367
Score of Russia
the worst in the index, 163rd place
18.9%
Deterioration since 2008
among the 25 least peaceful countries
8 of 20
of the last places
are in sub-Saharan Africa
- 163. Russia3.367
- 162. Sudan3.195
- 161. Democratic Republic of the Congo3.189
- 160. Ukraine3.184
- 159. Israel3.124
- 158. South Sudan3.116
- 157. Afghanistan3.106
- 156. Yemen3.081
- 155. Syria3.067
- 154. Mali2.996
- 1. Iceland1.161
- Eastern Europe and Central Asia: Russia (163)3.367
- Middle East and North Africa: Sudan (162)3.195
- Sub-Saharan Africa: Democratic Republic of the Congo (161)3.189
- South Asia: Afghanistan (157)3.106
- Asia-Pacific: Myanmar (151)2.911
- Central America and the Caribbean: Haiti (142)2.755
- South America: Colombia (141)2.735
- Western and Central Europe: France (99)2.083
Global Peace Index
- Published by
- Institute for Economics and Peace, Sydney
- What is assessed
- Whole states, using 23 indicators
- Time frame
- The previous year
- How often
- Once a year
- Result
- Rank and a score between 1 and 5
Travel and safety advice
- Published by
- German Federal Foreign Office, Berlin
- What is assessed
- Risks for travellers, including for single regions
- Time frame
- The current situation
- How often
- Continuously, as soon as the situation changes
- Result
- Advice, a partial travel warning or a travel warning
- Data
- Global Peace Index 2026, published in June 2026
- Publisher
- Institute for Economics and Peace, Sydney
- Compared
- 163 states and territories
- How to read it
- A high score means less peace
- Author
- Johannes Max Harms
Which is the most dangerous country in the world?
According to the Global Peace Index 2026, the most dangerous country in the world is Russia. With a score of 3.367 it ranks 163rd out of 163, last place, as in the previous year. The gap above it is large: Sudan in 162nd place scores 3.195.
Dangerous in this index means least peaceful. The score sums up how much violence there is inside a country, whether a state is involved in conflicts and how heavily it is militarised. For Russia, the report mentions among other things military expenditure, which stood at around 7.2 percent of economic output in 2025.
Over the past year the Russian score improved slightly, by 0.7 percent, because fewer deaths from internal conflict were recorded. In the militarisation domain, however, it deteriorated by 5.8 percent. This did not change the last place.
Which countries are at the bottom of the ranking?
The last five places are held by Russia, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ukraine and Israel. Before them come South Sudan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria and Mali. The table below shows the last 20 places with their scores and the change on the previous year.
The scores in these places are close together. Only 0.006 points separate the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 161st place from Sudan in 162nd, and 0.06 separate Israel from Ukraine. One place more or less therefore says little; the score says more.
It is notable that several countries at the bottom improved: Ukraine by 3.6 percent, the Democratic Republic of the Congo by 3 percent and Israel by 2.6 percent. The report points out that the figures for Israel do not yet include the war with Iran from late February 2026, because the index covers the year 2025.
What makes a country unpeaceful in the Global Peace Index?
The Global Peace Index is made up of 23 indicators in three domains: safety and security, ongoing conflict and militarisation. Safety and security covers violent crime, homicide and political instability, ongoing conflict covers deaths in war and relations with neighbouring countries, and militarisation covers military expenditure, the arms trade and the size of the armed forces.
A country rarely ends up near the bottom because of a single problem. Usually several burdens come together: armed conflict, political instability, displacement and a high level of militarisation. For Sudan, the report notes that many indicators are already at or near their worst possible score.
The causes still differ from country to country. In Pakistan, deaths from terrorism and from conflict along the border rose above all; in Iran, the report points to violent demonstrations after the economic collapse. If you want to understand why a country ranks low, look at the individual domains, not only at the rank.
In which regions are the least peaceful countries?
According to the Global Peace Index 2026, the least peaceful region is the Middle East and North Africa. Six of the last 20 places are there, among them Sudan, Israel, Yemen, Syria, Palestine and Iran. At the same time, the region is marked by large differences: Qatar ranks 31st.
Eight of the last 20 places are in sub-Saharan Africa, among them the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Mali and Somalia. According to the report, the Sahel now accounts for more than half of all deaths from terrorism worldwide. Chad lost nine places over the past year and now ranks 145th.
Two of the last places are in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, two in South Asia and two in the Asia-Pacific region. No country from Western and Central Europe, South America or North America is among the last 20. The second chart above shows the least peaceful country of each region.
Is the least peaceful country also the most dangerous place to travel?
Not necessarily. The index describes a state as a whole and reflects the previous year. It can hide large differences between regions and cities within one country, and it says nothing about what makes a particular trip risky today.
Travellers need answers to other questions: is a region currently contested? Is there a risk of kidnapping, natural hazards or poor health care? These are answered by the travel and safety advice of the German Federal Foreign Office. It applies to individual areas, is updated continuously and goes as far as a travel warning.
The index is a good complement, because it shows how stable a country has been over many years. A decision about a trip should never rest on a rank alone, neither for the safest countries nor for the most dangerous.
Are the least safe countries in the world becoming safer?
Not over the long run. Since 2008, the 25 least peaceful countries have deteriorated by 18.9 percent on average, the 25 most peaceful by only 0.3 percent. The gap between the two ends of the ranking has therefore grown considerably.
Over the past year, the countries at the bottom moved in both directions. Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Israel improved, while Chad, Pakistan and Iran lost six to nine places. Worldwide, 99 states became less peaceful and 62 more peaceful.
Behind every number are people in these countries who settle disputes, take in refugees and hold communities together. How peace can come about after a war is shown in the series How wars ended. This page gives the figures of the Global Peace Index 2026 and will be updated with the next edition.
Global Peace Index 2026
Russia is the least peaceful country, with Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ukraine, and Israel completing the bottom five.
Sources
The least peaceful countries in 2026
| Rank | Country | Score | Places on last year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 144 | Iran | 2.759 | −6 |
| 145 | Chad | 2.769 | −9 |
| 146 | Niger | 2.832 | −1 |
| 147 | North Korea | 2.845 | unchanged |
| 148 | Palestine | 2.877 | +2 |
| 149 | Burkina Faso | 2.882 | +3 |
| 150 | Central African Republic | 2.906 | +1 |
| 151 | Myanmar | 2.911 | +2 |
| 152 | Pakistan | 2.919 | −6 |
| 153 | Somalia | 2.973 | −4 |
| 154 | Mali | 2.996 | unchanged |
| 155 | Syria | 3.067 | unchanged |
| 156 | Yemen | 3.081 | +2 |
| 157 | Afghanistan | 3.106 | unchanged |
| 158 | South Sudan | 3.116 | −2 |
| 159 | Israel | 3.124 | +1 |
| 160 | Ukraine | 3.184 | +2 |
| 161 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 3.189 | unchanged |
| 162 | Sudan | 3.195 | −3 |
| 163 | Russia | 3.367 | unchanged |
Source: Global Peace Index 2026, Institute for Economics and Peace. The scale runs from 1 to 5, a high score stands for less peace. The last column shows by how many places a country has improved (+) or deteriorated (−) compared with the 2025 edition.
More in this series
- The safest countries in the worldGlobal Peace Index 2026Iceland has led the ranking of the most peaceful countries for nineteen years. Who follows behind it and why is shown by the Global Peace Index 2026
- Global Peace IndexGlobal Peace Index 2026, methodology sectionEvery year the Global Peace Index ranks 163 states by how peaceful they are. If you want to read the ranking, it helps to know how it is calculated
More questions about the most dangerous countries
Which is the most dangerous country in Europe?
That depends on where Europe ends. The Global Peace Index places Russia and Ukraine in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region. Russia ranks last there and worldwide, Ukraine 160th.
In Western and Central Europe, the most peaceful region in the world, France is the least peaceful country. It ranks 99th worldwide with a score of 2.083. For comparison, Germany ranks 28th, and the safest countries in Europe lead the ranking.
Which is the most dangerous country in Africa?
The index counts North Africa and Sudan as part of the Middle East and North Africa region. Sudan ranks last there and 162nd worldwide. The report points to the civil war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, which since April 2023 has killed an estimated 150,000 people and displaced nearly 13 million.
In sub-Saharan Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo ranks last, in 161st place. At the same time, Mauritius, in 18th place, is one of the most peaceful countries in the world and lies in the same region. Africa cannot be read as a single block.
Which is the most dangerous country in South America?
In South America, Colombia ranks last in the regional table, 141st worldwide with a score of 2.735. Its score deteriorated by 4.7 percent over the past year, mainly because of more deaths from internal conflict.
In Central America and the Caribbean, Haiti ranks last, sharing 142nd place with Nigeria. Haiti deteriorated in all three domains of the index, most of all in ongoing conflict.
Which is the most dangerous country in Asia?
The index divides Asia into several regions. In South Asia, Afghanistan ranks last, 157th worldwide. In the Asia-Pacific region it is Myanmar in 151st place, where a civil war has continued since the military coup in February 2021.
Other Asian states among the last 20 places are Pakistan in 152nd place and North Korea in 147th. Pakistan lost six places over the past year, and its score deteriorated by 5.5 percent.
Which countries should you avoid in 2026?
This page does not give travel recommendations. The Global Peace Index shows how peaceful a state was as a whole over the past year. For a trip, what counts is the current situation, the region and the kind of travel.
For every country, the German Federal Foreign Office publishes travel and safety advice and, where needed, a partial travel warning or a travel warning. This advice is updated continuously and is the reliable basis for your decision.
Peace does not begin in a ranking
Behind every position are people who settle disputes, connect neighbourhoods and build trust. That is exactly where W3ltfrieden starts: with peace missions that you can start or support yourself.
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