Safety is an important factor when traveling. With recent incidents abroad, travelers are taking extra precautions when planning trips. Countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, Mali, Syria, and Ukraine all rank as some of the most dangerous destinations for business and pleasure travel in the world, according to the recent Travel Risk Map.
The index is put together by risk assessment firm International SOS’s global security and medical specialists. The map was created in 2015. This year is the first time the index counted mental health disorders such as anxiety, eating disorders, depression, and schizophrenia.
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More Frequently Asked Questions
Where is it safe to travel in 2024? Some of the safest countries to travel to in 2024 start with Canada, Switzerland, Norway, Ireland, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Portugal, Denmark, Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, France, Spain, and Brazil. Additionally, here are a few of the safest cities to travel to in 2024 according to Berkshire Hathaway, starting with Honolulu, Montreal, Reykjavik, Sydney, Amsterdam, Dubai, Copenhagen, London, Seoul, Venice, Italy, Tokyo, Berlin, Paris, Barcelona, and Orlando.
Which is the riskiest country in the world? As it relates specifically to what is the riskiest country to visit, more than one country appeared on the most recent list according to International SOS. The aforementioned list of course begins with Afghanistan followed by South Sudan, Syria, Libya, and Somalia. All of which has emerged as the riskiest nations to travel to nowadays. This list is based on various risks; countries were evaluated on a five-level scale for medical, security, and climate change risks.
What is the most unsafe country to visit? Afghanistan is considered to be one of the unsafe countries to visit in 2024 due to various reasons: ongoing conflicts, high terrorism rates, inadequate infrastructure, challenging living conditions, and limited personal freedoms. Afghanistan continues to be top of the list for six years in a row.
How is the list compiled?
Countries’ security levels are determined by the threat to employees by political violence, including politically motivated unrest, terrorism, social unrest as well as petty crime, and other factors.
The countries at ‘extreme risk’ for 2024 because of security include Afghanistan, Iraq, Mali, Somalia, Syria, and Ukraine. These countries experienced a “serious threat of violent attacks by armed groups targeting travelers and international assignees,” according to the site.
Ukraine was ranked ‘medium risk’ but is now at the extreme level following its Russia invasion last year in February.
What are the 'low-risk' countries?
The countries that rank ‘low risk’ are the U.S., Canada, Australia, and most European countries. In addition tp, the United Kingdom receiving a ‘low’ rating across all three risk categories.
In the medical category, which ranks countries’ COVID-19 health care, infectious disease standards, and the quality of pharmaceutical supplies, the ‘low-risk’ countries are the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and most of Western Europe.
The ‘very high-risk’ countries in the medical category include Afghanistan, Haiti, Mali, Niger, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, and Syria.
Countries that received high scores in medical safety and security ranked low in the mental health category and vice versa. The index shows that between 15% and 17.5% of people experienced mental health problems in Western Europe and most of Scandinavia. On the other hand, 17.5% to 20% experience mental health issues in Australia, Greenland, Spain, and New Zealand.
According to the World Health Organization, one in seven people in the world deal with at least one mental or substance abuse disorder. WHO reveals that anxiety and depression rates increased by 25% during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Irene Lai, medical director at International SOS said in a statement, “With travel and health risks on the rise in many regions, it is important for organizations to also focus on mitigating the ongoing impact of mental health issues.”
Lai continues, “Although other acute medical issues which may have a significant impact regularly arise, mental health problems remain in the background and cannot be overlooked.”
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What are 'high-risk countries'?
Specifically as it relates to countries that are considered to be high-risk (medical related) countries like Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan are labeled very ‘high-risk’, alongside several others which includes Yemen, North Korea, and Haiti.
Similarly, nations facing very ‘high-risk’ from climate change includes Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, among others in Africa and beyond.
What are 'extreme-risk' countrises?
As mentioned earlier, countries low-risk, high-risk, extreme-risk countries are evaluated on a five-level scale for medical, security, and climate change risks. Nations like Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan received the highest security warning level labeled as ‘extreme risk.’ South Sudan, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, and Somalia have emerged as five of the riskiest nations, according to the 2024 risk map crafted by International SOS, a medical and security consultancy.
