Ranking
Most Dangerous Countries to Visit in 2026
The 20 lowest-scoring countries we cover, starting with the highest risk to visitors. A low score reflects the dangers a traveller would face, mostly war, armed groups and violent crime. It is not a judgement on the people who live there, who usually face those dangers far more than any visitor.
Updated · Scores update with each page
The ranking
Haiti
Haiti is not safe to visit in 2026. Armed gangs control most of the capital, UN figures show more than 3,000 people killed in the first half of the year, and kidnappings target vehicles and buses. The US and UK advise against all travel, US airlines may not fly to Port-au-Prince, and health care is extremely limited.
Score 15, grade FSudan
No. Sudan has been at war since 15 April 2023, when the army and the Rapid Support Forces turned on each other. The US and UK both say do not travel, there is no Western embassy open in Khartoum, and kidnapping, landmines, disease and drone strikes on the airports make even short trips extremely risky.
Score 24, grade FSouth Sudan
South Sudan is close to a return to civil war in 2026, with mass killings in Jonglei and Ruweng. Armed robbery and carjacking are common even in Juba, WHO estimates 22 road deaths per 100,000 people a year, and there is no public ambulance number.
Score 25, grade FBurkina Faso
No. Burkina Faso has been ruled by the military since two coups in 2022, and al-Qaeda and Islamic State affiliates attack towns, roads and army posts across much of the country. The US and UK both say do not travel, kidnapping of foreigners is a real threat even in Ouagadougou, and help in an emergency is very limited.
Score 28, grade FNiger
No. Niger has been under military rule since the coup of 26 July 2023, and jihadist groups attack in the west, south-east and north. The US and UK both say do not travel, foreigners have been kidnapped in Niamey itself, and the authorities require a military escort for any foreigner leaving the capital.
Score 28, grade FSomalia
Somalia is among the most dangerous countries to visit. Al-Shabaab attacks hotels, beaches and the Mogadishu airport zone, kidnapping for ransom is common, and medical care barely exists outside Hargeisa. The UK's advice is slightly softer only for three western regions of Somaliland.
Score 28, grade FCentral African Republic
No. The US says do not travel, and the UK advises against all travel outside Bangui and all but essential travel to the capital. A peace process has calmed parts of the country, but armed groups still kidnap and kill in the north-west and south-east, roads are among the deadliest anywhere and health care is very basic.
Score 29, grade FYemen
Yemen is one of the most dangerous places to travel in 2026. Fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces escalated sharply in September, kidnap risk is very high, health care has largely collapsed and roads kill about 30 people per 100,000 a year.
Score 29, grade FDemocratic Republic of the Congo
No. The US says do not travel to the DRC, the UK advises against all travel to seven eastern provinces, and a Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak declared a global health emergency in May 2026 is still growing. Kinshasa is calmer than the east, but street robbery, fake police and very limited health care make it hard going too.
Score 30, grade FChad
No. The US says do not travel to Chad for any reason, and the UK advises against all travel to the north, the Lake Chad region and every border area, and against all but essential travel elsewhere, N'Djamena included. Kidnapping, carjacking, landmines and cholera add to the risk.
Score 31, grade FMali
No. Mali has been under military rule since the coups of August 2020 and May 2021, and the jihadist insurgency has moved south towards Bamako. The US and UK both say do not travel anywhere in the country, foreigners are kidnapped for ransom, and the UK tells anyone still there to leave by air, not by road.
Score 31, grade FSyria
Syria has opened up since Bashar al-Assad fell in December 2024, but the US and UK still advise against all travel. Bombs killed at least 10 people in Damascus in July 2026, sectarian violence killed thousands on the coast and in Suwayda in 2025, and hospitals lack basic medicines.
Score 31, grade FAfghanistan
The US and UK both say do not travel, even on an organised tour. Foreigners risk detention by the Taliban and kidnapping by criminals and militants, fighting with Pakistan has killed hundreds of Afghan civilians since October 2025, and health care and disaster response are very limited.
Score 35, grade FEcuador
Ecuador had a record 50.9 homicides per 100,000 in 2025, driven by drug gangs on the coast, and the UK advises against seven coastal provinces including Guayaquil. The Galápagos, Quito, Cuenca and the Andes carry far less risk, though theft and express kidnapping occur nationwide.
Score 36, grade FLibya
Libya is calmer than during its civil wars, and the UK has eased its advice for Tripoli (June 2026) and the Benghazi area (July 2026) to all but essential travel. The US still says do not travel for any reason, citing militia clashes, kidnapping and armed crime, and roads are among the deadliest anywhere.
Score 37, grade FNigeria
Business travellers and diaspora visitors go to Lagos and Abuja every day, but Nigeria is one of the riskiest countries we cover. Kidnappings rose to at least 7,825 victims in a year, the US says do not travel to 23 of 36 states, roads are deadly and Nigeria has the world's highest malaria burden.
Score 37, grade FUkraine
Ukraine is at war. The US says do not travel for any reason, and the UK advises against all travel except to a few western regions. UN monitors counted 2,222 civilians killed from January to August 2026, more than in all of 2025. Crime and roads would score as average in peacetime; the war is what matters.
Score 38, grade FMyanmar
No. Myanmar has been at civil war since the military coup of February 2021. The US says do not travel for any reason, the UK advises against all travel to most of the country, and landmines, arbitrary arrest, scam compounds and the damage from the 2025 earthquake add to the risk.
Score 40, grade DPalestine
Gaza is closed to visitors, with daily strikes reported since the October 2025 ceasefire and a health system in ruins. The West Bank is a different trip. Bethlehem, Ramallah and Jericho take tourists, but violence has risen, the north is a no-go area for the UK, and every journey passes Israeli checkpoints.
Score 40, grade DIraq
The US says do not travel to any part of Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region. The UK advises against all travel to the north and west and against all but essential travel elsewhere. Drone and missile attacks linked to the Iran war hit Kurdistan hard in 2026, and roads, heat and guns add to the risk.
Score 42, grade D
How the ranking works
Every country has a page with six scored factors, built for visitors: violent crime (25%), conflict and terrorism (20%), road safety (20%), health risks (15%), natural hazards (10%) and petty crime (10%). This list shows the 20 lowest scores, starting with the lowest, and it changes whenever we update a country page. We do not write scores into this text, because the list always shows the current ones.
The conflict ceiling
A weighted average alone would hide a war. A country with good roads and low street crime could score in the middle even while missiles fall on its cities. So the overall score can never be more than 35 points above the country's conflict and terrorism score. For most countries the weighted average is already below that cap, and the cap changes nothing. For countries at war it sets the score, and the country page says so. The details are on how we score countries.
What the lowest-scoring countries have in common
Most countries on this list are at war or have large areas held by armed groups: war in Sudan and Yemen, continuing violence in Syria, jihadist insurgencies across parts of the Sahel, and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In many of them, the US and UK advise against all travel, embassies are closed or have cut their staff, and consular help for visitors is very limited.
A few are here mainly because of crime rather than war. In Haiti, armed gangs control most of the capital and kidnappings target vehicles and buses. Ecuador recorded a record 50.9 Homicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary people in 2025, driven by drug gangs on the coast, while the Galápagos, Quito and the Andes carry far less risk. Weak health care, malaria and dangerous roads add to the risk in many of these countries, especially outside the capitals.
What a low score means for a trip
The score is an average for the whole country, and risk is rarely spread evenly. Official advice often treats regions differently, and some countries here have areas that see visitors safely. Each country page lists the regions to avoid, the official advice from the US and UK and the precautions that matter. Read it, and your own government's advice for the exact region, before you decide.
Questions
What is the most dangerous country to visit?
The country at the top of this list has the lowest score we give right now. Several countries near the top are close together, and most of them are at war or have large areas held by armed groups, so the order among them can change with one update. The US and UK advise against all travel to most of them.
Can I still travel to a country on this list?
Some people do, for work, family or aid. Most countries here have official advice against all or most travel, which can also void ordinary travel insurance. If you must go, read your government's advice for the specific region, get insurance that covers it, and follow the country page's practical advice.
Why does a country with low crime still score low?
Because of the conflict ceiling. A country's overall score cannot be more than 35 points above its conflict and terrorism score, so a war cannot be averaged away by good roads, low street crime or decent hospitals. For most countries the cap changes nothing; for a country at war it decides the score.
Why is Ukraine on this list?
Ukraine's score is low because of Russia's full-scale invasion, which began in February 2022. Russian missile and drone strikes hit cities far from the front, and airspace is closed. The danger to visitors comes from these Russian attacks, not from Ukraine or its people. The [Ukraine page](/countries/ukraine) explains what the official advice says about the western regions.
Does a low score mean the people there are dangerous?
No. The score measures risk to a visitor from conflict, crime, roads, disease and natural hazards. In most of these countries, local people are the main victims of the violence, and many of them work to help visitors stay safe.