Which countries post the most risk to travelers?

 

According to the 2019 World Risk Map from Drum Cussac, the Middle East and North Africa emerge as the most high risk locations for travelers, with much of Africa and central America also posing threats. The firm Countries have been ranked from least to most risky using 20 risk markers grouped under five main risk categories:

1. Security (such as petty and violent crime, civil conflicts, protests, strikes and terrorism);
2. Political (government stability, levels of corruption, political interference and sanctions);
3. Medical (presence of diseases, standard of medical facilities, access to water and availability of pharmaceuticals);
4. Environmental (proximity to seismic activity, frequency of storms, presence of man-made ordnance such as land mines and climatic hazards); and
5. Infrastructural (road safety and standards, provision of utilities such as electricity, cyber-crime and aviation security and standards).

Countries from these regions also rank high for risk in the individual country categories, with Syria and the Republic of South Sudan appearing in the top infrastructural, medical and political risk lists as well as the overall top ten risky destinations. Others in that overall risky top ten are Yemen, Afghanistan, Libya, Somalia, Central African Republic, Iraq, Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi.

For countries with more a population of more than a million, Singapore Taiwan and Uruguay emerge as the lowest risk nations, making them the potentially safest destinations for travelers. Overall, Aruba (part of the Dutch Caribbean) is ranked as the lowest risk country in the world. That said, Drum Cussac says that despite the seemingly benign threats in some regions, travelers are still advised to practice caution and to stay aware of threats to their person, especially if traveling during the Asia-Pacific typhoon season.