The 15 most violent and dangerous countries in the world

April 3, 2024

The world can be a very hostile place. That is why, every year, the Institute of Economy and Peace prepares the Global Peace Index, which aims to determine the state of violence and the level of peace in the 194 countries of the world.

In this article you can find a list of the 15 most violent and dangerous countries on our planet , those in which living leads to greater risks due to wars or the high crime rate.

How the Global Peace Index works

It is not easy to determine which countries are the most violent and dangerous and the most peaceful in the world. In 2017, the number of countries in the world is 194. The process of measuring the tranquility and danger of a country is complex , and it is necessary to evaluate a series of indicators, among what is possible to find: the number of internal and external conflicts, peaceful or not relations with neighboring countries, political instability, the presence of terrorism, the number of homicides that occur for every 100,000 inhabitants, etc.

The ranking of quieter or more dangerous countries has been taking place since 2007 and, since then, Iceland has always been the safest and most peaceful country in the world. Last year, the top 5, in addition to Iceland, was completed by Denmark, Austria, New Zealand and Switzerland, the vast majority of European countries.

Related articles: "The 10 happiest countries in the world, according to the UN"

The 15 most violent and dangerous countries in the world

But, what are the countries that are at the other extreme? Which are the most hostile and violent countries? Below you can find a list of the 15 most dangerous countries in the world.

15. Zimbabwe

Violence is a serious problem in most African countries, and Zimbabwe is no exception. A large part of the conflicts in this territory are generated due to the deterioration of the economy from the country. Although most of the crimes in Zimbabwe are not as violent as those in other countries of this continent, violent people are often armed with firearms and commit violent acts.

14. Israel

Although Israel is one of the most developed countries in the world, it is located in a very troubled area in the Middle East. It is for that reason that armed conflicts are common , which makes it an unsafe country due to the clash between Israel and Palestine. The struggle between Israelis and Palestinians is common, which began in the mid-twentieth century and lasts until the present. Recently, conflicts have resumed in the Gaza Strip and terrorism is part of the day in the Holy Land.

13. Colombia

Colombia, like many Latin American countries, has evolved into a very unequal society: the 10% of the country's richest population earns four times more than the poorest 40%, according to the Human Development Index of the United Nations. (UN) In fact, Colombia is considered one of the most dangerous countries in Latin America However, other institutions affirm that Honduras is more dangerous than Colombia.

12. Nigeria

Nigeria at the social level has many problems and conflicts. Regarding the issue of human rights, it is still a little advanced country. Corruption in government it is the dominant tone of a country in which officials take advantage of their position to enrich themselves. Cases of rape are not uncommon, nor are cases of torture and other cruel acts of prisoners or detainees. Discrimination based on sex, ethnicity, religion are common.

11. Russia

A considerably high crime rate is probably the reason why Russia is one of the most dangerous countries in the world. This country is marked by drug trafficking, money laundering, human trafficking, extortion, fraud and even murder on request . Many criminal gangs are dedicated to corruption, the black market, terrorism and kidnapping. In 2011, Russia was ranked among the leading countries in homicides by the United Nations.

10. North Korea

Few countries have the figures of compliance with human rights such as North Korea. The population strictly controlled by the state and all aspects of the daily life of its population are subordinated to the planning of Kim Jong-un's regime. Amnesty International also reports severe restrictions on the freedom of its people, where arbitrary detention, torture and other ill-treatment resulting in death and executions predominate.

However, the lack of reliable data obtained about this country means that much of the news and information about North Korea is contaminated by propaganda from South Korea or the United States, a country with which it is still at war.

9. Pakistan

The post-independence history of Pakistan has been characterized by periods of military rule, political instability and conflicts with neighboring India. The country continues to face challenging problems, such as overpopulation, terrorism, poverty, illiteracy or corruption, and is among the countries with greater inequality among its inhabitants .

8. Democratic Republic of the Congo

This country is extremely rich in natural resources, but political instability, lack of infrastructure and a culture of corruption have historically limited the efforts of development, extraction and exploitation of these resources. Since Congo's first civil war in 1996, the country was devastated. The wars of this territory in recent years have caused the death of 5.4 million people since 1998, with more than 90% of deaths from malaria, diarrhea, pneumonia and malnutrition.

7. Central African Republic

After independence from France in 1960, the Central African Republic was governed by a series of dictators. The first multi-party democratic elections were held in 1993, when Ange-Félix Patassé was elected president.

The peace period did not last long, since in 2004 the war of the Central African Republic began. Despite a peace treaty in 2007 and another in 2011, in December 2012 clashes erupted between governmental, Muslim and Christian factions, which led to ethnic and religious cleansing and massive population displacement in 2013 and 2014.

6. Sudan

Sudan is a country that lives submerged in violence. For much of Sudan's history, the nation has been plagued by internal conflicts and has suffered many ethnic conflicts, including two civil wars and the war in the Darfur region . Sudan does not take into account human rights, as it has often led to ethnic cleansing and slavery continues to be part of the country. The Sudanese legal system is based on strict Islamic law.

5. Somalia

The Somali civil war is a conflict that continues in force and that began in 1991. It developed from the resistance to the regime of Siad Barre during the 80s , but over time, many armed rebel groups have joined the conflict, competing for power in the country. The war has caused hundreds of thousands of casualties so far.

4. Iraq

Iraq has been affected by a war that has lasted almost 9 years. It was officially completed in December 2011, but the country has been suffering from various conflicts to the present. Currently, the main problem in Iraq is the Islamic State that continues to expand and take over large areas of the north of the country, including the provincial capitals of Mosul or Tikrit.

3. South Sudan

Since July 2011, when South Sudan became an independent state, it has suffered internal conflicts. Ethnic violence began as part of the Sudanese conflicts that were fought between nomadic rival tribes , which has resulted in a large number of victims and has displaced hundreds of thousands of people.

2. Afghanistan

The war in Afghanistan began in 2001 and lasts until the present. It refers to the intervention of NATO and the allied forces in the current Afghan civil war . The war emerged after the September 11 attacks and its public objectives were to dismantle al Qaeda and deny it a secure base of operation in this country by withdrawing the Taliban from power. Tens of thousands of people have died in the war.

1. Syria

The main reason why Syria was classified as the most dangerous country in the world is the Syrian Civil War that is being talked about so much today. This armed conflict started in the early spring of 2011 with national protests against the government of President Bashar al-Assad, whose forces responded with violent repression.

The conflict changed gradually, from popular protests to an armed rebellion after months of military sieges. The armed opposition consists of several groups that were formed during the course of the conflict, including the Free Syrian Army or the Islamic Front. Estimates of deaths in the conflict vary widely, but range from 110,000 to almost 200,000.