Afghanistan Ranked Fifth Most Dangerous Country; UN Warns of Widening Risks

DID Press: According to a latest 2025 report by the Institute for Economics and Peace, Afghanistan is the fifth most dangerous country in the world, with humanitarian crises and political instability cited as the main drivers of insecurity.

The report describes the security situation in Afghanistan as highly critical. Although levels of armed conflict have decreased compared to previous years, weak governance, widespread humanitarian crises, and growing political instability continue to cast a heavy shadow over the country’s security.

Afghanistan is the only South Asian country scoring poorly across key indicators such as access to small arms, violent crime rates, political instability, and the number of internally displaced persons. These factors place Afghanistan 158th out of 163 countries on the Global Peace Index.

The Institute warns that ongoing crises and fragile political conditions can hinder any future progress toward peace in Afghanistan.

Richard Bennett, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, told PBS that Afghanistan remains highly insecure and engagement with the Taliban-led caretaker government has been proven ineffective. He emphasized that no group can currently feel safe in Afghanistan.

Bennett underlined the heightened risks faced by women, girls, and those who cooperated with foreign forces over the past two decades. He described the widespread exodus of Afghanistan people, particularly over the past four years, as entirely understandable, given the resurgence of security threats reminiscent of the period before the 2001 U.S. invasion.

He warned the situation poses not only a threat to Afghanistan people but also to global security, emphasizing that the Taliban’s “autocratic and extremist” rule can destabilize the region beyond Afghanistan’s borders.