This Is the World's Most Dangerous Country

Travel

Masked terrorist with tactical Shemagh scarf and treating look with grungy background. Concept of terrorism and violence. — Natasa Adzic / Shutterstock.com

Published: March 30, 2024 9:30 am

The world has always been a dangerous place, but we have never been more cognizant of it than we are today. The 24/7 news cycle ensures we are always aware of the dangers posed in different places all over the globe. These dangers are not one-dimensional and they are certainly not equally distributed in our world. Here is a look at the different threats facing tens of millions of people. These dangers are broken down into three distinct categories.

24/7 Wall St. used information from the International SOS travel risk map for this story. Population, geographical, and cultural information were sourced from The World Factbook published by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.

Security Threats

anti terrorism squad with military equipment with special tactical force counter terrorism assault technology — War and terrorism are major threats around the globe.

When we consider the dangers of our world, our first thoughts typically turn to military conflicts, terrorism, and other security threats. Every day, we see new reports of violence in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the fight between Israel and Hamas, the gang violence in Haiti, the civil war in Myanmar, and on and on.

Medical/Health Threats

Military tent hospital. A mobile medical tent with a stretcher and medical bags. First aid to victims. — Lack of medical care is a grave threat to hundreds of millions of people.

Security issues are not the only threats facing much of the world’s population, though. Rampant disease, the lack of proper sanitation, the absence of medical care, and little to no humanitarian aid claim many more lives than human violence in some parts of the world.

Threats From Climate Change

Dead trees on dry cracked earth — Some nations are under a greater threat from climate change than others.

The threat of climate change also looms larger in some parts of the world than in others. Extreme weather events, famine, and other disasters are rising in these nations.

International SOS, a health and security service firm, published a study detailing these three dangers worldwide. We have broken down the most dangerous countries in each category listed by International SOS. The countries in the individual categories are not ranked, but rather are arranged alphabetically. However, there is one nation that is considered by numerous authoritative private and government agencies as the single most dangerous nation on the planet. (On a similar note, here is a list of the ten most corrupt countries on Earth. Not surprisingly, there is some overlap between the most corrupt and the most dangerous nations in the world.)

Countries With the Highest Security Threats

SOS International tagged these nine nations with the highest possible security threat level. Those nations are:

Afghanistan
Central African Republic
Iraq
Libya
Somalia
South Sudan
Syria
Ukraine
Yemen

While not quite at the highest risk level, countries that saw significant increases in security risks since the last report include Lebanon, the Palestinian Territories, and Russia.

Countries With the Highest Medical Threats

SHADA, SOMALIA - FEBRUARY 25: Abdullahi Mohamud, 5, cries next to his mother Sahro Mohamed Mumin, 30, and brother, Abdulrahman Mahamud, 2, as a nurse struggles to find a vein for an injection at a government run health clinic on February 25, 2017 in Shada, Somalia. Abdullahi was diagnosed with bronchitis, Abdulrahman with pneumonia. Both children were also suffering from severe malnutrition.The family lost all of their animals due to drought and had traveled 150 kilometers in search of a better situation. Somalia is currently on the brink of famine with over half of the country's population facing acute food insecurity according to the United Nations. The intensifying crisis has humanitarian groups racing to stop a repeat of 2011, in which 260,000 people died of famine throughout country. (Photo by Andrew Renneisen/Getty Images) — Adequate medical care is severely lacking in Somalia.

Nations with the highest health and medical threats include:

Afghanistan
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Central African Republic
Eritrea
Haiti
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Iraq
Liberia
Libya
Niger
North Korea
Palestinian Territories
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Sudan
Sudan
Syria
Yemen

Countries Under the Highest Threats from Climate Change

A rooftop view of Sanaa, the capital of Yemen. — Yemen is under a particularly dangerous threat from climate change.

The nations that face the most severe potential impacts of climate change include:

Afghanistan
Central African Republic
Chad
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Ethiopia
Iraq
Mali
Mozambique
Niger
Nigeria
Somalia
South Sudan
Syria
Yemen

Countries With The Highest Combined Threats

Danger Red Tape Warning in front of a tree/ Red Danger sign Tape — Seven nations received the highest threat level for security, medical, and climate.

When an extreme lack of security, lack of access to medical care, and the highest risk from climate change all come together in one place, that location is quite literally one of the most dangerous places in the world. SOS International labeled seven nations with the highest threat level in all three categories. The security, health, and climate dangers in these seven nations cannot be overstated. Here is a list of those seven countries.

1. Afghanistan

Taliban soldiers — The Taliban controls Afghanistan.

Population: 39,232,003
Total Area: 251,827 square miles
Religions: Muslim 99.7%, Other <0.3%
Government Type: Theocratic
Capital: Kabul

2. Central African Republic

Mothers and babies aged between 0 and 5 years are lining up in a Health Post at Begoua, a district of the Central African Republic's capital Bangui, waiting for the two drops of the oral polio vaccine that will prevent paralysis and death, 15 May 2008. UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Mia Farrow launched the 3-day polio vaccination campaign at the start of her visit to CAR. Despite the progress over the past few years, medical care remains both costly and inaccessible for many families across CAR. Despite tremendous progress, vaccination coverage for preventable diseases stands at less than 50% and one child in five does not live to celebrate his or her fifth birthday.

Credits: Pierre Holtz for UNICEF | www.hdptcar.net — The people of the Central African Republic often wait in long lines for healthcare, if it is available at all.

Population: 5,552,228
Total Area: 240,535 square miles
Religions: Christian 89%, Muslim 9%, Folk Religionist 1%, Unaffiliated 1%
Government Type: Presidential Republic
Capital: Bangui

3. Iraq

Iraq flag on soldiers arm. Iraq troops (collage). — Iraq continues to be one of the most dangerous nations in the world.

Population: 41,266,109
Total Area: 169,235 square miles
Religions: Muslim 95-98%, Christian 1%, Other 1-4%
Government Type: Federal Parliamentary Republic
Capital: Baghdad

4. Somalia

Climate change in Africa: dramatic dusty sandstorm blowing sand and dirt through savanna, disrupting life in Melkadida refugee camp , Dollo Ado, Somalia region — Climate change is bringing devastating consequences to Somalia.

Population: 12,693,796
Total Area: 246,201 square miles
Religions: Muslim (percentages and other faith numbers are unavailable)
Government Type: Federal Parliamentary Republic
Capital: Mogadishu

5. South Sudan

Juba, South Sudan - Unidentified people prepare plastic containers to collect water in refugee camp, Juba, South Sudan — The people of South Sudan are suffering from a lack of food and potable water, threats of violence, and more.

Population: 12,118,379
Total Area: 248,777 square miles
Religions: Christian 60.5%, Folk Religion 32.9%, Muslim 6.2%, Other <1%, Unaffiliated <1%
Government Type: Presidential Republic
Capital: Juba

6. Syria

Syrian woman in the camp for displaced persons in Atmeh, Syria — The Syrian people have suffered more than most people in the rest of the world can even imagine.

Population: 22,933,531
Total Area: 72,370 square miles
Religions: Muslim 87%, Christian 10%, Druze 3%
Government Type: Presidential Republic; Highly Authoritative Regime
Capital: Damascus

7. Yemen

MOCHA, YEMEN - SEPTEMBER 22: Buildings lay in ruins on September 22, 2018 in Mocha, Yemen. The city was retaken from Houthi rebels in early 2017, part of Yemen's Saudi-led coalition-backed military campaign that has moved west along Yemen's coast. (Photo by Andrew Renneisen/Getty Images) — Yemen has been embroiled in a civil war since 2014.

Population: 31,565,602
Total Area: 203,850 square miles
Religions: Muslim 99.1%, Other 0.9%
Government Type: In Transition
Capital: Sanaa

The World’s Most Dangerous Country

Taliban member with chest flags — Taliban rule has made Afghanistan an even more dangerous place.

Out of these seven nations, one tops the list as the most dangerous nation on Earth: Afghanistan.

The desert climate can be quite dangerous. Jalalabad regularly sees summer temperatures above 110°F. Climate change threatens to send these scorching temperatures even higher.

Afghanistan is a consistent leader in deaths from armed conflict and terrorism. When the U.S. and NATO forces withdrew in 2021, the situation in Afghanistan became even more dire. With the Taliban in control, threats to women have skyrocketed. Religious persecution has intensified.

It is estimated that more than 90% of Afghans are impoverished. Access to medical care is practically non-existent in much of the war-torn country. Afghanistan is experiencing a humanitarian crisis on every imaginable level.

U.S. State Department Warnings Regarding Afghanistan

US Department of State Exterior&Sign — The U.S. State Department does not mince words in its warnings to Americans about travel to Afghanistan.

The U.S. State Department has issued a Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory regarding Afghanistan, which is the highest threat level the department can assign. The State Department lists terrorism, risk of wrongful detention, kidnapping, and crime as the biggest threats to a U.S. citizen who may venture to Afghanistan.

The State Department warns the U.S. Embassy in Kabul has suspended operations, meaning the U.S. government cannot provide any emergency emergency consular services to American citizens in Afghanistan.

Because multiple terrorist groups are operating in Afghanistan, the risk of wrongful detention is high. These groups have kidnapped and detained U.S. citizens and international aid workers.

Should a U.S. citizen choose to ignore this travel advisory and venture to Afghanistan anyway, the State Department provides some pretty ominous advice, including:

Draft a will and designate appropriate insurance beneficiaries and/or power of attorney.
Discuss a plan with loved ones regarding care/custody of children, pets, property, belongings, non-liquid assets (collections, artwork, etc.), funeral wishes, etc.
Leave DNA samples with your medical provider in case it is necessary for your family to access them.

In case someone may still misunderstand the message, the State Department sums it up in one sentence: “U.S. citizens should not travel to Afghanistan for any reason.”