20 Most Dangerous Countries in the World

According to the Global Peace Index (GPI) 2025, global peacefulness has deteriorated, and these twenty countries rank as the most dangerous countries in the world. 

These rankings reflect ongoing wars, political instability, and high levels of violence. 

Each country’s GPI score (higher means less peaceful) is noted, with Russia ranking as the most dangerous at 3.441. 

Below we explore the current state of each country in 2025, explaining why they are the most dangerous countries in the world. 

These places often suffer active conflicts, terrorism, or crime, and many carry official travel warnings due to the risks.

Russia – GPI Score: 3.441

Russia tops the list for the most dangerous countries in the world in 2025. 

The primary reason is the war in Ukraine, which Russia launched in 2022 and is still fiercely ongoing. 

Fighting has spilled occasionally onto Russian soil. 

For example, a Ukrainian incursion in Kursk in August 2024 marked the first major strike inside Russia’s territory. 

The protracted conflict has led to heavy military losses and international sanctions, straining Russia’s economy and internal stability. 

Domestically, the government’s crackdowns on dissent have intensified during wartime, contributing to an oppressive atmosphere. 

Russia’s Safety and Security and Ongoing Conflict indicators worsened sharply, with rising conflict deaths and societal fear. 

With one of the world’s largest militaries and a nuclear arsenal, Russia remains extremely militarised and on a war footing, making it the most dangerous country in the world.

Ukraine – GPI Score: 3.434

Ukraine is the second in the list of the most dangerous countries in the world in 2025, as it endures the full brunt of Russia’s invasion. 

The war has devastated Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, causing massive casualties and a humanitarian crisis. 

Millions of Ukrainians have been displaced by the fighting, and daily life in war-torn regions is perilous. 

Beyond the frontline battles, the conflict has led to a spike in crime and arms proliferation. 

Weapons from the war have spread among the population, fuelling insecurity. 

Ukrainian society is awash with military hardware, undermining public safety. 

Despite heroic resistance, the ongoing war means Ukraine’s Ongoing Conflict and Safety metrics are extremely poor. 

The toll includes not only battlefield losses but also increased domestic violence and organised crime linked to the unstable conditions. 

Until peace is achieved, Ukraine will remain one of the world’s most dangerous countries in the world.

Sudan – GPI Score: 3.323

Sudan is suffering a catastrophic civil war that began in April 2023 and shows no signs of abating in 2025. 

Fierce fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has torn the country apart. 

The war has been labelled the world’s largest and most devastating humanitarian crisis by U.N. officials. 

Over 25 million Sudanese (more than half the population) urgently need humanitarian aid. 

Essential services have collapsed, and at least 150,000 people have been killed in the conflict’s carnage. 

Both sides have committed atrocities against civilians, including ethnic massacres, sexual violence, and indiscriminate bombing. 

By 2025, each had controlled different regions at times; for example, the RSF seized much of Khartoum early on, while the army later recaptured the capital. 

Fighting has spilled over into neighbouring countries as refugees flood across borders, destabilising the region. 

With relentless violence and a total breakdown of order, Sudan remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world.

Democratic Republic of the Congo – GPI Score: 3.292

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) remains engulfed in conflict, particularly in its eastern provinces, making it the fourth least peaceful country. 

Numerous armed groups, such as the M23 rebels and the Islamist ADF, control or contest parts of the east, leading to chronic violence. 

In early 2025, rebel offensives led to staggering casualties.

Over 2,500 people were killed in just the first three months of 2025 due to armed group violence. 

This marked the deadliest period in DRC since the end of the Second Congo War in 2003. 

The Congolese army, struggling to contain multiple insurgencies at once, lost ground as rebels advanced in regions like North Kivu. 

Civilians are frequently caught in the crossfire or targeted.

Massacres and village attacks are tragically common. 

Despite the presence of U.N. peacekeepers for years, vast areas remain lawless. 

A humanitarian crisis accompanies the conflict, with millions displaced and extreme suffering. 

Yemen – GPI Score: 3.262

Yemen’s security situation in 2025 remains dire, after years of civil war that have shattered the country. 

A fragile ceasefire had reduced fighting since 2022, but a formal peace agreement between Houthi rebels and the internationally recognised government is still elusive. 

Conflict flared again in early 2025 when Houthi forces began attacking ships in the Red Sea amid the Israel-Gaza war, prompting a U.S. bombing campaign in Yemen. 

By May 2025, the U.S.-Houthi ceasefire was reached, halting those hostilities. 

Still, Yemen remains extremely dangerous: sporadic clashes continue on some frontlines.

Foreign powers (including the US, Saudi Arabia, and UAE) have been involved militarily. 

The country faces one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

Widespread hunger and disease are compounded by war. 

Over eight years of conflict have devastated infrastructure and society. 

Terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda also operate in the chaos. 

With law and order collapsed, Yemen is considered ‘Do Not Travel’ by most governments and remains among the most dangerous countries in the world.

Afghanistan – GPI Score: 3.229

Afghanistan’s war officially ended in 2021 with the Taliban takeover.

However in 2025 the country is still extremely volatile and unsafe. 

The Taliban government imposes harsh rule and systematic human rights abuses. 

Afghanistan is the only country in the world where girls and women are banned from secondary and higher education and face severe restrictions on movement and work. 

The regime’s repression, particularly of women, has created a climate of fear. 

Meanwhile, militant violence has not ceased.

ISIS-K (Islamic State Khorasan) regularly carries out bombings and attacks on civilians, keeping the threat of terrorism high. 

In late 2024, ISIS-K even assassinated a Taliban governor, underscoring ongoing conflict. 

The humanitarian situation is dire as well.

Afghanistan’s economy collapsed under sanctions, and 23 million people (over half the population) need humanitarian aid to survive. 

Crime and poverty are rampant. 

With multiple terrorist groups active and the Taliban detaining or kidnapping those they distrust.

Foreign governments advise against all travel due to threats of kidnapping, wrongful detention, and terror attacks.

Syria – GPI Score: 3.184

Syria continues to grapple with instability and violence after nearly 14 years of civil war. 

While large-scale battles have reduced compared to the war’s peak, 2025 finds Syria still divided into zones of rival control and suffering periodic clashes. 

The Assad government, backed by Russia and Iran, holds most of the country but faces insurgent attacks and Israeli airstrikes. 

Israeli forces struck Syrian targets numerous times in 2025. 

In the northwest, rebel-held Idlib province sees sporadic bombings and skirmishes. 

ISIS remnants also wage a low-level insurgency, especially in the eastern deserts. 

Meanwhile, humanitarian conditions are among the worst globally: around 70% of Syrians require aid to survive, and over 6.9 million people are internally displaced with another 5.4 million as refugees abroad. 

The death toll of the war exceeds 600,000. Syria’s economy is in ruins, and reconstruction is minimal amid sanctions and ongoing instability. 

With continued violence, lawlessness, and an oppressive regime, Syria remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world.

South Sudan – GPI Score: 3.117

South Sudan, the world’s newest country, remains mired in conflict and fragility. 

A 2018 peace deal ended the main civil war between rival leaders Salva Kiir and Riek Machar, but by 2025 that agreement is at risk of collapse. 

Political tensions have spiked.

The unity government is faltering, elections have been repeatedly delayed, and fresh clashes have erupted between government and opposition forces. 

Even during the ceasefire, violence never fully stopped: ethnic militias and communal groups have continued deadly raids and cattle feuds, killing civilians in various regions. 

Humanitarian conditions are extremely poor.

South Sudan consistently ranks as one of the most fragile states, with millions facing hunger and frequent flooding. 

The war in neighbouring Sudan since 2023 has also spilled over. 

Over a million refugees have entered, and armed factions from Sudan have reportedly operated on South Sudanese soil. 

Israel – GPI Score: 3.108

Israel’s GPI score deteriorated markedly due to the outbreak of war with Hamas in late 2023. 

In October 2023, Hamas militants from Gaza carried out a massive attack in southern Israel. 

Israel responded with a full-scale military campaign in Gaza that lasted several weeks, resulting in widespread destruction and high civilian casualties. 

The conflict was the deadliest in the region in decades, leaving parts of Gaza devastated and raising tensions across the Middle East. 

By 2025, Israel is recovering from that war but remains on high alert. 

The war’s fallout included rising military expenditure.

Israel had the largest year-on-year increase in defence spending, reflecting its heightened security posture. 

Tensions with neighbouring countries and armed groups (like Hezbollah in Lebanon and militants in Syria) remain high. 

Internally, Israel also experienced political turmoil, with mass protests over judicial reforms earlier in 2023 adding to instability. 

While daily life in much of Israel is orderly, the constant threat of conflict, recent wartime trauma, and ongoing violence in the Palestinian territories keep Israel’s peacefulness low. 

Mali – GPI Score: 3.061

Mali is entrenched in conflict, battling a jihadist insurgency and renewed rebel uprisings. 

After military coups in 2020 and 2021, the junta government expelled international peacekeepers and aligned with Russian private military contractors. 

This withdrawal of U.N. forces by the end of 2023 triggered a spike in fighting.

In late 2023, Mali’s army fought major battles with northern separatist rebels (formerly signatories of a 2015 peace accord that collapsed in 2024) around Kidal. 

At the same time, Islamist militant violence has surged. 

Mali is one of the epicentres of Sahel terrorism.

In 2024 the Sahel region saw over 25,000 conflict deaths, and Mali suffered frequent attacks by groups linked to Al-Qaeda (JNIM) and ISIS. 

Civilians have endured massacres by both jihadists and the army. 

Large swathes of Mali (especially the north and centre) are effectively lawless or under militant control, and travel by road can be lethal. 

With the state struggling to assert authority and violence unabated, Mali remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world.

Myanmar – GPI Score: 3.045

Myanmar is in the grip of a full-scale civil war following a military coup in February 2021. 

By 2025, the military junta controls only about 20% of the country’s territory, with ethnic rebel armies and pro-democracy militias (PDFs) holding much of the rest. 

Fighting is intense across multiple fronts as resistance forces push to oust the military regime. 

The conflict has displaced over 3 million civilians and caused more than 75,000 deaths since the coup. 

The junta frequently resorts to airstrikes and heavy weapons against civilian areas, leading to high casualties and alleged war crimes.

In 2024, more than 1,800 people were killed in conflict in Myanmar, the worst annual toll since the war began. 

Villages have been burned and thousands of political prisoners remain in detention where torture is rampant. 

The humanitarian crisis is severe.

Over 17 million people (about one-third of the population) need aid, and large parts of the country are cut off from basic services. 

Law and order have collapsed, and crime is rising amid the chaos.

Burkina Faso – GPI Score: 3.016

Burkina Faso is at the heart of the Sahel’s spiralling security crisis. 

Jihadist insurgencies affiliated with Al-Qaeda and ISIS have spread across the country, which has experienced two military coups since 2022 amid the turmoil. 

Vast rural areas, especially in the north and east, are outside government control and face relentless attacks. 

Armed Islamist groups routinely massacre civilians, and Burkina has witnessed some of the deadliest terrorist attacks in recent years. 

In June 2024, for example, militants killed 170 people in a single assault in northern Burkina Faso. 

The conflict with jihadists often overlaps with ethnic tensions, and retaliatory killings of civilians by security forces and allied militias have been reported. 

Over 2 million Burkinabè are displaced by the violence, and famine looms in blockaded areas. 

This leads to Burkina Faso being one of the most dangerous countries in the world.

Somalia – GPI Score: 2.983

Somalia has been embroiled in conflict for decades, and in 2025 it remains extremely dangerous due to the ongoing Al-Shabaab insurgency. 

Al-Shabaab, Al-Qaeda’s East African affiliate, controls swathes of southern Somalia and regularly bombs the capital Mogadishu and other towns. 

In 2024, the militant group intensified suicide bombings and assaults.

Hundreds of civilians were killed or injured in such attacks. 

One major incident in August 2024 saw Al-Shabaab attack a beach restaurant in Mogadishu, killing 37 people and wounding over 200. 

The Somali government, with African Union support, launched an offensive that reclaimed some territory, but Al-Shabaab retaliated with guerilla strikes. 

Government military operations have unfortunately also caused civilian casualties.

For instance, drone-assisted strikes killed 23 civilians in one case. 

Outside the Islamist conflict, Somalia struggles with clan-based clashes and crime. 

In late 2024 about 4.4 million Somalis needed emergency food aid due to drought and conflict. 

The country lacks effective nationwide governance, and piracy and kidnapping remain risks in some areas. 

Travel advisories label Somalia unsafe for any visit. 

Despite some security gains, Somalia’s mix of terrorism, lawlessness, and humanitarian crisis keeps it among the world’s most dangerous countries.

Central African Republic – GPI Score: 2.912

The Central African Republic (CAR) has been wracked by armed conflict since 2013, and although 2025 brought a glimmer of hope, the nation is still very fragile. 

For years, a coalition of rebel groups known as the CPC controlled large parts of CAR, while government authority was limited to the capital Bangui and few areas. 

Violence between these rebels and government forces (backed by Russian Wagner mercenaries) has been brutal, with countless incidents of murder, sexual violence, and village pillaging. 

In mid-2025, a breakthrough occurred.

The two largest rebel factions, the UPC and 3R, agreed to disarm and dissolve as part of a peace deal. 

Rebel leader Ali Darassa publicly laid down his weapon in Bangui, marking an end to his insurgency. 

This deal, brokered by neighbouring Chad, brought cautious optimism that CAR might finally see peace after a decade of war. 

However, security remains precarious.

Smaller armed groups still sow terror in parts of the countryside, and the risk of new violence looms if the peace accord falters. 

Civilians in CAR have endured sectarian massacres between Christian and Muslim militias in the past. 

While the 2025 disarmament is promising, CAR’s state institutions are weak, and any setback could reignite conflict. 

Thus, CAR remains on the list of the most dangerous countries in the world, though there is hope that it might climb off this list in the future.

North Korea – GPI Score: 2.911

North Korea is not an active warzone, but it remains one of the most dangerous countries due to its extreme militarisation and isolation. 

The totalitarian regime in Pyongyang maintains a massive military and nuclear weapons programme, prioritising guns over food. 

North Korea is in fact one of the most militarised countries, scoring the maximum on indicators like nuclear capabilities, military spending as a percentage of GDP, and number of armed forces personnel. 

The country has tested numerous ballistic missiles, including intercontinental missiles, raising tensions with its neighbours and the West. 

In 2025, North Korea’s continued missile launches and rhetoric keep the Korean Peninsula on edge. 

Internally, the government’s iron grip means gross human rights abuses and a climate of fear. 

Chronic economic sanctions and self-imposed isolation have also led to food shortages. 

The average citizen faces repression and poverty, while resources are funnelled to the military. 

Occasional border incidents (such as exchanges of fire with South Korea) underscore the risk of conflict. 

Any escalation could be catastrophic given Pyongyang’s nuclear arsenal. 

Although there is no open civil war, the combination of an unpredictable nuclear-armed regime, militarised society, and severe oppression makes North Korea a tinderbox.

Nigeria – GPI Score: 2.869

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, is beset by multiple security crises that make it one of the most dangerous countries in the world. 

In the northeast, the Boko Haram insurgency (and its offshoot ISWAP) has raged since 2009, killing tens of thousands and displacing over 2 million people. 

These jihadist groups continue to commit mass atrocities. 

Meanwhile, large parts of Nigeria’s northwest and central regions are overrun by organised armed bandit gangs. 

These groups engage in kidnapping-for-ransom on a huge scale and have terrorised rural communities with killings and assaults. 

In the first half of 2025 alone, over 2,266 people were killed by insurgents or bandits in Nigeria – more than in all of 2024. 

This soaring violence indicates a rapidly worsening situation. 

Furthermore, long-running conflicts between herders and farmers over land and water have fuelled ethnic massacres in central Nigeria. 

The government’s security forces are stretched thin and have themselves been accused of heavy-handed tactics and abuses. 

With a recent change of government (2023 elections) and economic hardships, the instability is compounded by political tension. 

Nigeria’s humanitarian needs are also immense – about 7.8 million Nigerians in the conflict-affected regions require urgent aid. 

From Islamist terrorism in the northeast to banditry in the northwest and separatist agitation in the south, Nigeria faces a spectrum of dangers keeping it firmly among the most dangerous countries in the world.

Iraq – GPI Score: 2.862

Iraq in 2025 is still struggling to emerge from decades of conflict. 

The country achieved victory over the Islamic State (ISIS) in 2017, but ISIS remnants continue a low-level insurgency, especially in northern and western Iraq. 

Sporadic bombings and guerrilla attacks by ISIS cells target security forces and civilians, reminding Iraqis that the terrorist threat is not fully gone. 

Additionally, powerful militias operate semi-independently, sometimes clashing with each other or with coalition forces. 

In late 2023, the Israel-Gaza war triggered a spike in militia rocket attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq, raising fears of broader conflict. 

Internally, Iraq has seen protests and political instability. 

While an uneasy peace holds, the state’s hold on security is incomplete. 

Ethnic and sectarian tensions (Sunni–Shia and Arab–Kurd divisions) persist, occasionally flaring into violence. 

The presence of millions of uncontrolled weapons and veterans of past wars also contributes to crime and tribal violence in some areas. 

On a positive note, Iraq’s security in major cities is better than during the ISIS war, and the country is slowly rebuilding. 

Türkiye – GPI Score: 2.852

Türkiye (Turkey) finds itself on the GPI’s least peaceful list largely due to ongoing conflicts and a highly militarised environment. 

The country has been fighting an insurgency by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) for decades.

This is a conflict that has claimed nearly 40,000 lives since 1984. 

In recent years, fighting in southeast Turkey and cross-border strikes against Kurdish militants in Iraq and Syria have persisted. 

Turkish forces regularly conduct airstrikes against PKK bases in northern Iraq and against Kurdish YPG forces in Syria. 

These military operations keep tensions high and sometimes result in civilian casualties (for instance, drone strikes in Iraqi Kurdistan occasionally hit civilians). 

Within Turkey, there is also a continued threat of terrorism.

The country suffered bomb attacks in its cities in the past. 

Türkiye’s involvement in the Syrian civil war adds to its security burden. 

Turkey maintains a large military (second-largest in NATO) and high defence spending, contributing to a lower peace score. 

While daily life is stable in much of Turkey, the combination of insurgency, regional military engagements, and internal tensions position Türkiye among the most dangerous countries in the world.

Palestine – GPI Score: 2.811

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict makes the Palestinian Territories one of the world’s most dangerous and conflict-ridden areas. 

In Gaza, 2025 opens with the coastal enclave devastated by the war in late 2023 between Israel and Hamas. 

Israeli bombardments destroyed infrastructure, creating a humanitarian nightmare. 

Even after active fighting stopped, Gaza remains under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade, and tensions are extremely high. 

Sporadic rocket fire and airstrikes may still occur. 

In the West Bank, violence has also surged. 

Near-daily Israeli army raids in Palestinian towns and refugee camps, as well as attacks by Israeli settlers, resulted in hundreds of Palestinian fatalities. 

Palestinian militant attacks have also killed Israeli soldiers and settlers, fuelling a cycle of reprisals. 

The Palestinian Authority has lost control of some areas to local militant groups, further destabilising the situation. 

Civilians, including children, often bear the brunt. 

With no peace in sight, Palestinians live under constant threat. 

The combination of military occupation, frequent armed clashes, and humanitarian crises in both Gaza and the West Bank places Palestine among the most dangerous countries in the world.

Pakistan – GPI Score: 2.797

Pakistan has slid into a new ‘era of terrorism’ in 2024–2025, as militant violence resurges across the country. 

The Pakistani Taliban (TTP) insurgency, which had been subdued in the late 2010s, is now back with a vengeance, particularly in the northwest regions (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and tribal areas). 

The TTP, emboldened by the Taliban’s victory in Afghanistan, increased attacks dramatically, with the number of militant attacks in Pakistan rising about 70% in 2024 compared to 2023. 

Terrorists have targeted police stations, army posts, and even mosques. 

In addition to the TTP threat, Pakistan faces an insurgency in Balochistan, where separatist groups like the BLA regularly bomb infrastructure and attack troops. 

Sectarian violence against minority Shia Muslims has also flared. 

The political environment amplifies the instability. 

2024 saw significant turmoil, with the ousting and jailing of a former prime minister and mass protests, all amidst a severe economic crisis. 

These conditions have distracted authorities and arguably given militants space to operate. 

With multiple security challenges and political chaos, Pakistan’s peace and stability have deteriorated, landing it in the world’s 20 most dangerous countries in the world for 2025.

Key Takeaways

You should now have an understanding of the most dangerous countries in the world. 

The Global Peace Index 2025 highlights how conflict and instability plague numerous nations. 

From active warzones, to countries beset by terrorism and insurgency, these twenty states suffer extreme violence or repression that makes everyday life perilous. 

Many are facing humanitarian crises.

It’s notable that several are embroiled in newly escalated wars, showing how quickly peace can deteriorate. 

Others reflect chronic instability that has festered for years. 

Efforts to improve peace have met with limited success so far. 

For the general public, these rankings of the most dangerous countries in the world serve as a warning. 

However, it’s important to remember that behind the grim statistics are millions of ordinary people yearning for peace. 

International support and effective governance will be key in the coming years to pull these nations out of the cycle of violence and remove them from this unenviable list.