There is no clear-cut way to measure the most violent nations in the world. With so many factors to consider, it’s hard to get a definitive ordered list of the world’s most violent nations. For example, a study could consider the number of homicides to determine which countries are the most violent. Another study may look at the total number of violent crimes. Other nations may look at other factors, such as domestic and international warfare.
Despite which study you use, many of the same nations appear on each list. For example, the risk assessment company Drum-Cussac performed a study the looked at data in the categories of political, medical, environmental, infrastructural, and security.
Based on this data, the ten most violent countries include:
- Afghanistan
- Central African Republic
- Burundi
- Yemen
- Syria
- South Sudan
- Somalia
- Iraq
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Libya
A report from the think tank Igarape Institute analyzed the number of homicides in nations across the world to determine the most violent countries. In this study, it was found that 17 of the world’s 20 most violent countries were in Latin America. Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela topped the list, together accounting for one-quarter of all of the murders in the world.
Yet another study by the World Economic Forum took a look at the prevalence of terrorism and violence to rank the world’s most dangerous and violent countries. Topping this list were the nations of Pakistan, El Salvador, Nigeria, Yemen, and Colombia.
On the opposite end, the safest countries are Iceland, New Zealand, and Portugal. Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Taiwan have some of the overall lowest crime rates worldwide.