These Are the World’s 10 Most Dangerous Countries in 2025, According to a New Study
As global peacefulness declines for the 13th time in 17 years, these are the countries you’ll want to avoid.
The Global Peace Index (GPI) just released its 2025 findings, and the big picture isn’t pretty.
Global peacefulness declined for the 13th time in the past 17 years, with 87 countries deteriorating while only 74 managed to improve. Wars in Ukraine and Gaza dominate the headlines, but the report makes it clear that conflict and instability stretch far beyond those hotspots.
The GPI ranks 163 countries based on safety, ongoing conflict, and militarisation. Here’s a look at the 10 least peaceful countries in the world for 2025.
10. Mali (Rank 154)
Mali continues to face violent conflict between government forces, armed groups, and extremist organizations in the Sahel. The country is battling high terrorism impact and deteriorating political stability. Military juntas have cycled through power since 2020, and while foreign troops once helped stabilize the region, most international forces have withdrawn. That vacuum has left Mali vulnerable to escalating violence.
9. Israel (Rank 155)
The war in Gaza has reshaped Israel’s standing on the GPI. With more than 63,000 reported deaths since the conflict escalated in October 2023, Israel now ranks among the least peaceful nations in the world. Its militarisation score is among the highest globally, with military expenditure as a share of GDP climbing sharply. The political and humanitarian fallout in the region continues to ripple outward.
8. South Sudan (Rank 156)
South Sudan has struggled with conflict since gaining independence in 2011, and 2024 saw no relief. Fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has spilled over, worsening violence and displacement. Humanitarian agencies have limited ability to operate safely, and millions remain displaced. Peace talks have made little progress, leaving South Sudan locked in instability.
7. Syria (Rank 157)
Syria’s brutal civil war has stretched into its second decade. The overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s government in late 2024 created more turmoil, even as a transitional government was sworn in. Over 14 million Syrians have fled the country since 2011, and more than 70 percent of the population now relies on humanitarian aid. Despite temporary ceasefires, violence and instability remain pervasive.
6. Afghanistan (Rank 158)
Afghanistan has ranked among the least peaceful countries since the GPI began. Although outright conflict deaths have fallen since the Taliban regained power in 2021, the country still scores at the bottom on safety indicators, including political instability, violent crime, and access to small arms. A looming humanitarian crisis also threatens to worsen conditions: the WHO has warned that 80 percent of its health services could shut down due to lack of funding.
5. Yemen (Rank 159)
Yemen remains one of the world’s least peaceful countries, ranking sixth from the bottom. Years of civil war between the Houthi rebels and the internationally recognized government have devastated the country, creating one of the worst humanitarian crises of our time. Millions remain displaced and dependent on aid.
The war in Gaza has also pulled Yemen further into the region’s instability. Houthi forces, aligned with Iran, have carried out attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and launched rockets in support of Palestinians, drawing international military responses.
4. Democratic Republic of the Congo (Rank 160)
The DRC’s war with the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group intensified in 2024. The UN estimates between 3,000 and 4,000 Rwandan soldiers are operating in the country alongside rebels. Violence in the eastern provinces has displaced nearly seven million people, one of the highest numbers of internally displaced people worldwide. With fighting spreading across borders, regional tensions are growing.
3. Sudan (Rank 161)
Sudan is now the third least peaceful country in the world. Conflict erupted in 2023 between the SAF and the RSF, plunging the country into chaos. In 2024 alone, more than 6,800 deaths were recorded from internal conflict, and millions were displaced. Lawlessness has made it impossible for aid groups to operate safely in many areas, including Khartoum. With no resolution in sight, Sudan’s crisis continues to escalate.
2. Ukraine (Rank 162)
Ukraine’s war with Russia entered its most volatile phase yet, with Ukrainian troops launching the Kursk offensive inside Russian territory in August 2024. Militarisation is at historic highs, with military spending rising from just over 2 percent of GDP before the war to more than 15 percent in 2024. Domestic crime and violence have surged too, fueled by the spread of weapons and economic strain.
1. Russia (Rank 163)
Russia is ranked the least peaceful country in the world in 2025. The war in Ukraine continues to exact staggering costs, with estimates of more than 170,000 Russian soldiers killed since 2022. Conflict deaths on Russian soil rose sharply after Ukraine’s cross-border offensive, while political repression and violent demonstrations also worsened. On top of that, Russia experienced one of the deadliest terrorist attacks of 2024, killing more than 130 people at a Moscow concert hall.
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