Most dangerous countries in the world in 2026
Right now the lowest safety scores are Russia (21.8), Afghanistan (26.9) and Syria (27.5). This is a live ranking — every score is recalculated from world news as it happens, so this list moves during the day.
- 21.8Lowest score — Russia
- 20Countries in the high-risk or extreme bands
- 3With active combat in the last 24 hours
Scores run 0–100, where 0 means the maximum recorded threat pressure across all ten categories. This page shows the bottom 30; the full ranking covers every country and territory we track.
The 30 most dangerous countries right now
Ranked by live safety index, lowest first. Every score links through to that country's full breakdown.
| # | Country | Score | 0–100 | Main pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russia | 21.8 | Military conflict 29.9/30 | |
| 2 | Afghanistan | 26.9 | Political instability 14.5/15 | |
| 3 | Syria | 27.5 | Military conflict 29.6/30 | |
| 4 | Yemen | 27.5 | Military conflict 30.0/30 | |
| 5 | Sudan | 28.9 | Military conflict 29.7/30 | |
| 6 | Palestine | 32.1 | Military conflict 30.0/30 | |
| 7 | North Korea | 32.4 | Nuclear risk 11.9/12 | |
| 8 | Iran | 33.4 | Sanctions 3.9/4 | |
| 9 | South Sudan | 33.9 | Military conflict 27.2/30 | |
| 10 | Somalia | 34.5 | Crime 13.6/15 | |
| 11 | Myanmar | 38.7 | Sanctions 3.5/4 | |
| 12 | Libya | 39.3 | Military conflict 28.2/30 | |
| 13 | Niger | 40.9 | Political instability 12.5/15 | |
| 14 | DR Congo | 40.9 | Military conflict 24.4/30 | |
| 15 | Lebanon | 41.5 | Military conflict 29.4/30 | |
| 16 | Burkina Faso | 43.0 | Crime 12.1/15 | |
| 17 | Haiti | 45.8 | Crime 14.4/15 | |
| 18 | Central African Republic | 47.3 | Crime 11.8/15 | |
| 19 | Mali | 47.5 | Political instability 11.4/15 | |
| 20 | Ethiopia | 48.5 | Military conflict 24.3/30 | |
| 21 | Ukraine | 50.2 | Military conflict 30.0/30 | |
| 22 | Israel | 51.4 | Military conflict 30.0/30 | |
| 23 | Pakistan | 51.9 | Crime 9.4/15 | |
| 24 | Iraq | 53.7 | Military conflict 23.6/30 | |
| 25 | Cameroon | 54.1 | Political instability 9.9/15 | |
| 26 | Venezuela | 54.8 | Sanctions 3.8/4 | |
| 27 | Eritrea | 55.2 | Political instability 13.7/15 | |
| 28 | Chad | 56.5 | Political instability 9.7/15 | |
| 29 | Belarus | 57.8 | Political instability 13.6/15 | |
| 30 | Nigeria | 58.9 | Military conflict 19.8/30 |
Questions
- What is the most dangerous country in the world right now?
- Russia, at 21.8 out of 100 on the live index as of the timestamp above — the lowest score we currently record. Because scores update continuously, this can change during the day.
- Is this the same as a government travel advisory?
- No. This is a model-generated index built from news coverage, not an official advisory. It updates far faster than government advisories, but for travel decisions you should read your own government's advisory alongside it.
- Why does a country move up or down this list?
- Scores respond to what is being reported: strikes, unrest, crackdowns, disasters and sanctions all push a score down, while a quiet stretch lets it recover gradually toward the country's baseline.
- What are the most dangerous countries in 2026?
- As of 1 September 2026, the lowest-scoring countries on the live index are Russia (21.8), Afghanistan (26.9), Syria (27.5), Yemen (27.5), Sudan (28.9), out of 100 where higher is safer. The ranking is recomputed continuously, so it can change during the day.
- Where can I see a world map of the most dangerous countries?
- The live war map at /war-map shades every country and territory by this same index, so the darkest areas are the lowest-scoring ones. This page is the ranked table version of it.
- What wars are active right now?
- The countries with military action on their own territory confirmed by two independent models within the last 24 hours are listed live at /current-wars. Not every country on this ranking is at war — crime, political instability and sanctions pressure pull a score down just as the military category does.