- published on 2/28/2023
- 4min
What are the most dangerous countries in the world?
Who would invest abroad or send employees on an international assignment without first analysing the country’s security situation? This is the only way you can take adequate protective measures. If your staff are expatriating or travelling to the most unstable regions of the world, taking out specific insurance coverage is essential. Check out our spotlight on the 2022 rankings of the most dangerous countries in the world.
2 studies to identify high-risk countries
Many studies classify countries according to political risks and other threats to peace. We’ve chosen to look at two of them:
the Global Peace Index, published by the Institute for Economics & Peace, which compares 163 countries across 23 indicators
the interactive Travel Risk Map, produced by International SOS, which analyses countries according to a number of criteria
Other organisations or companies also regularly provide maps of security risks in the world, without necessarily ranking countries one by one. For example, in many countries, the Department of Foreign Affairs provide information on the world's least secure countries on their website.
Top 10 most dangerous countries in the world in 2022
Global Peace Index | Travel Risk Map |
|---|---|
Afghanistan | Afghanistan |
Yemen | Central African Republic |
Syria | Iraq |
Russia | Lybia |
South Sudan | Mali |
Democratic Republic of the Congo | Somalia |
Iraq | South Sudan |
Central African Republic | Syria |
Soudan | Ukraine |
Ukraine | Yemen |
Although the number of risk indicators differed from one study to another, 8 countries appeared on both lists of the most dangerous countries.
Measuring danger: which criteria are used?
In order to classify countries according to their level of danger, studies are based on a number of criteria, such as:
the macroeconomic environment,
the number of homicides per 100,000 inhabitants,
the number of displaced persons and refugees,
the number and duration of internal and external conflicts,
the human rights situation,
the quality of infrastructure,
political instability,
military expenditure as a percentage of GDP,
terrorist activity,
relations with neighbouring countries.
Each country analysed is given a score, making it possible to establish a ranking.
Some international insurance policies exclude dangerous areas. Tell your insurer which countries your employees will be travelling to, so that you can be offered appropriate cover for health, assistance, and life insurance services. It is sometimes essential to take out security insurance (kidnapping, detention, extortion, etc.) to protect your employees. You may also protect your investments with export insurance.
For more information on high-risk countries:
Visit the Travel Risk Map and Vision of Humanity websites.
