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Although it has a slightly different secondary meaning in countries such as the United States, in a global political context, the term state is essentially a synonym for country. For example, the United Nations includes 195 sovereign states: 193 fully recognized countries and two non-member observer states. A failed state is the term used to describe a state whose government has lost control of its territory, economy, and people. A state that is unstable but has not yet fully failed is called a fragile state.
Failed states are often among the world's least-developed countries, with a low Human Development Index score. Many are also war torn or currently at war, and frequently rank among the world's most dangerous countries. As a result, failed states are often considered some of the world's worst countries to live in or to visit. A failed state struggles to implement public policies, build effective infrastructure, and protect civil liberties and human rights. Residents of a failed state have little physical security and lack the benefits that come from stable political and economic systems.
There is no official, universally accepted definition of a failed state. However, most every definition includes certain common, often intertwined characteristics:
Not all failed states cease to exist. While many failed states are absorbed into another, more stable state, many more are either reformed with a stronger government or manage to linger for years, even generations, during which time living conditions for their citizens often continue to deteriorate. This possibility, combined with the lack of an official definition of a failed state, means there is no universally accepted list of which states are failed states and which are not. In fact, at least a few analysts argue that the very idea of a failed state, much like the idea of race, is a fictional concept invented for political/social gain.
That said, one of the most well-known methods of determining whether a would-be country is a failed or fragile state is the Fragile States Index (FSI) published by the non-profit Fund for Peace. To create the FSI, the Fund for Peace measures each country's performance in more than 100 sub-indicators, which it compiles into a dozen indicators including Security Apparatus, Economic Decline, Human Rights and Rule of Law, and Public Services. Those twelve metrics are then combined into a single score that ranges from 0 (least fragile) to 120 (most fragile). The FSI stops short of designating a specific score at which a state goes from fragile to failed, but assigns a failure warning to any country whose score is between 60 and 89 and places an alert on countries that score 90 or higher.
States can fail for a number of reasons. One major cause of state failure is a predatory and/or corrupt government, which acts in the best interests of a small group of people (the ruling class) rather than the citizenry as a whole. Additional possible reasons include civil wars (particularly those driven by religious extremism), genocide, and ethnic violence.
Some of the states most in danger of failing due to government corruption include Nicaragua, Brazil, Sudan, and North Korea. States including Libya, Iraq, Pakistan and Siberia are in danger of failing due to civil unrest and rebellion. Nigeria and Nepal are at risk because of democratic collapse, and states including Iraq, Yemen and Turkey are in danger because of ongoing religious and ethnic conflicts.
Country | 2022 FSI Score | FSI Rank | FSI Category |
---|---|---|---|
Yemen | 111.7 | 1 | Very High Alert |
Somalia | 110.5 | 2 | Very High Alert |
Syria | 108.4 | 3 | High Alert |
South Sudan | 108.4 | 4 | High Alert |
Central African Republic | 108.1 | 5 | High Alert |
DR Congo | 107.3 | 6 | High Alert |
Sudan | 107.1 | 7 | High Alert |
Afghanistan | 105.9 | 8 | High Alert |
Chad | 105.7 | 9 | High Alert |
Myanmar | 100 | 10 | High Alert |
Haiti | 99.7 | 11 | Alert |
Guinea | 99.6 | 12 | Alert |
Ethiopia | 99.3 | 13 | Alert |
Mali | 98.6 | 14 | Alert |
Zimbabwe | 97.8 | 15 | Alert |
Nigeria | 97.2 | 16 | Alert |
Cameroon | 96 | 17 | Alert |
Eritrea | 95.9 | 18 | Alert |
Burundi | 95.4 | 19 | Alert |
Niger | 95.2 | 20 | Alert |
Mozambique | 94.3 | 22 | Alert |
Libya | 94.3 | 21 | Alert |
Iraq | 93.8 | 23 | Alert |
Republic of the Congo | 92.2 | 24 | Alert |
Uganda | 92.1 | 25 | Alert |
Venezuela | 91.6 | 26 | Alert |
Lebanon | 91.3 | 28 | Alert |
Burkina Faso | 90.5 | 29 | Alert |
Pakistan | 89.7 | 30 | High Warning |
Ivory Coast | 89.6 | 31 | High Warning |
North Korea | 89.1 | 32 | High Warning |
Kenya | 88.2 | 34 | High Warning |
Liberia | 88.2 | 33 | High Warning |
Angola | 88.1 | 35 | High Warning |
Mauritania | 87.9 | 36 | High Warning |
Palestine | 85.6 | 37 | High Warning |
Bangladesh | 84.5 | 38 | High Warning |
Iran | 84.1 | 40 | High Warning |
Equatorial Guinea | 84.1 | 39 | High Warning |
Rwanda | 83.7 | 41 | High Warning |
Egypt | 83.6 | 42 | High Warning |
Zambia | 83.6 | 43 | High Warning |
Togo | 83.6 | 44 | High Warning |
Malawi | 83 | 45 | High Warning |
Sierra Leone | 82.4 | 46 | High Warning |
Comoros | 82.3 | 47 | High Warning |
Djibouti | 81.3 | 48 | High Warning |
Nepal | 80.6 | 49 | High Warning |
Philippines | 80.5 | 51 | High Warning |
Cambodia | 80.5 | 50 | High Warning |
Madagascar | 80.4 | 52 | High Warning |
Eswatini | 80.4 | 53 | High Warning |
Solomon Islands | 80.4 | 54 | High Warning |
Papua New Guinea | 79.5 | 55 | Elevated Warning |
Sri Lanka | 79.3 | 56 | Elevated Warning |
Timor Leste | 79.3 | 57 | Elevated Warning |
Honduras | 78.7 | 58 | Elevated Warning |
Gambia | 78.6 | 59 | Elevated Warning |
Colombia | 78.4 | 60 | Elevated Warning |
Tanzania | 78.2 | 61 | Elevated Warning |
Turkey | 78.1 | 62 | Elevated Warning |
Nicaragua | 77.7 | 63 | Elevated Warning |
Guatemala | 77.5 | 64 | Elevated Warning |
Lesotho | 77.4 | 65 | Elevated Warning |
Kyrgyzstan | 77.1 | 66 | Elevated Warning |
Jordan | 76.6 | 67 | Elevated Warning |
Laos | 75.5 | 68 | Elevated Warning |
India | 75.3 | 69 | Elevated Warning |
Tajikistan | 75 | 70 | Elevated Warning |
Brazil | 73.9 | 71 | Elevated Warning |
Bolivia | 73.4 | 72 | Elevated Warning |
Azerbaijan | 73.1 | 73 | Elevated Warning |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 73 | 74 | Elevated Warning |
Russia | 72.6 | 75 | Elevated Warning |
Benin | 72.5 | 76 | Elevated Warning |
Algeria | 72.2 | 77 | Elevated Warning |
Senegal | 72.1 | 78 | Elevated Warning |
South Africa | 72 | 79 | Elevated Warning |
Georgia | 71.8 | 80 | Elevated Warning |
Micronesia | 71 | 81 | Elevated Warning |
El Salvador | 70.8 | 82 | Elevated Warning |
Sao Tome and Principe | 70.4 | 83 | Elevated Warning |
Mexico | 70.3 | 84 | Elevated Warning |
Morocco | 70.1 | 85 | Elevated Warning |
Thailand | 70 | 86 | Elevated Warning |
Peru | 69.8 | 87 | Warning |
Uzbekistan | 69.6 | 88 | Warning |
Ecuador | 69.1 | 89 | Warning |
Fiji | 68.9 | 90 | Warning |
Belarus | 68.7 | 91 | Warning |
Ukraine | 68.6 | 92 | Warning |
Tunisia | 68.2 | 93 | Warning |
Serbia | 67.8 | 94 | Warning |
Saudi Arabia | 67.5 | 95 | Warning |
Bhutan | 67.4 | 96 | Warning |
Armenia | 67 | 97 | Warning |
China | 66.9 | 98 | Warning |
Gabon | 66.7 | 99 | Warning |
Indonesia | 66.6 | 101 | Warning |
Bahrain | 66.6 | 100 | Warning |
Turkmenistan | 66.5 | 102 | Warning |
Paraguay | 65.4 | 103 | Warning |
Samoa | 64.8 | 104 | Warning |
Moldova | 64.5 | 106 | Warning |
Maldives | 64.5 | 105 | Warning |
Guyana | 64.2 | 107 | Warning |
Ghana | 63 | 108 | Warning |
Namibia | 62.9 | 109 | Warning |
Dominican Republic | 62.8 | 110 | Warning |
North Macedonia | 62.6 | 111 | Warning |
Jamaica | 62.1 | 112 | Warning |
Belize | 62.1 | 113 | Warning |
Vietnam | 60.9 | 115 | Warning |
Suriname | 60.8 | 116 | Warning |
Cuba | 60.1 | 117 | Warning |
Kazakhstan | 59.5 | 118 | Stable |
Montenegro | 57.9 | 119 | Stable |
Cyprus | 56.9 | 120 | Stable |
Albania | 56.7 | 121 | Stable |
Malaysia | 56.4 | 122 | Stable |
Botswana | 56.1 | 123 | Stable |
Greece | 55.8 | 124 | Stable |
Grenada | 54.3 | 126 | Stable |
Seychelles | 54.2 | 128 | Stable |
Antigua and Barbuda | 54.2 | 127 | Stable |
Trinidad and Tobago | 52.4 | 129 | Stable |
Kuwait | 52.2 | 130 | Stable |
Bulgaria | 51.6 | 131 | Stable |
Mongolia | 51.6 | 132 | Stable |
Romania | 50.8 | 134 | Stable |
Hungary | 50.8 | 133 | Stable |
Bahamas | 50.6 | 135 | Stable |
Oman | 49.5 | 136 | More Stable |
Croatia | 49.3 | 137 | More Stable |
Argentina | 47.9 | 138 | More Stable |
Panama | 47.5 | 139 | More Stable |
United States | 46.6 | 140 | More Stable |
Barbados | 45.9 | 141 | More Stable |
Spain | 44.4 | 142 | More Stable |
Italy | 43.4 | 143 | More Stable |
Chile | 43.2 | 144 | More Stable |
Latvia | 42.8 | 145 | More Stable |
Israel | 42.6 | 146 | More Stable |
Qatar | 42.3 | 147 | More Stable |
Poland | 42.2 | 148 | More Stable |
Costa Rica | 41 | 149 | More Stable |
United Kingdom | 40.6 | 150 | More Stable |
Czech Republic | 39.9 | 151 | Very Stable |
United Arab Emirates | 39.1 | 152 | Very Stable |
Lithuania | 38.6 | 153 | Very Stable |
Mauritius | 37.9 | 154 | Very Stable |
Estonia | 37.7 | 155 | Very Stable |
Slovakia | 37.1 | 156 | Very Stable |
Uruguay | 35.2 | 157 | Very Stable |
Malta | 34.7 | 158 | Very Stable |
South Korea | 32.7 | 159 | Very Stable |
Belgium | 31.9 | 160 | Very Stable |
Japan | 31 | 161 | Very Stable |
France | 30.9 | 162 | Very Stable |
Slovenia | 27.7 | 163 | Sustainable |
Portugal | 27.5 | 164 | Sustainable |
Singapore | 25.8 | 165 | Sustainable |
Austria | 25.4 | 166 | Sustainable |
Germany | 23.6 | 167 | Sustainable |
Australia | 22.7 | 168 | Sustainable |
Netherlands | 22.1 | 169 | Sustainable |
Sweden | 20.9 | 170 | Sustainable |
Ireland | 20.8 | 171 | Sustainable |
Canada | 20.1 | 172 | Sustainable |
Luxembourg | 20 | 173 | Sustainable |
Switzerland | 18.9 | 174 | Very Sustainable |
Denmark | 18.1 | 175 | Very Sustainable |
New Zealand | 17.5 | 176 | Very Sustainable |
Iceland | 17.1 | 177 | Very Sustainable |
Norway | 15.6 | 178 | Very Sustainable |
Finland | 15.1 | 179 | Very Sustainable |
Some examples of failed states include Yemen, Somalia, Syria, South Dusan, Central African Republic, Dr Congo, Sudan, Afghanistan, Chad, and Myanmar.