Syria, with a score of minus 2.75, was ranked as the politically least stable country worldwide in 2023 ahead of Iraq and Somalia. The country has been riddled by civil war since 2012, with the Syrian government battling a range of different factions. Syrian Civil War has resulted in large number of refugees The ongoing fighting and resulting instability in Syria has led to 6.2 million people fleeing the country, making it the largest source country of refugees worldwide. Over half of the Syrian refugees today live in neighboring Turkey. Fragile State Index Another way of measuring political stability is the Fragile States Index compiled annually by the Fund for Peace. In 2024, Somalia was ranked as the most fragile state ahead of Sudan. The index measures state fragility on a range of economic, social, and political indicators.

The British Crown Dependency of Jersey was ranked as the most politically stable country worldwide in 2023, ahead of the Cayman Islands and Liechtenstein. The Caribbean Islands are known for their favorable conditions for large international companies and wealthy individuals, with no income and fortune tax. Lowest stability in Syria On the other end of the scale, Syria had the lowest political stability. The Middle Eastern-country suffered from a civil war between 2012 and 2024, with the Syrian government battling a range of military groups, including the terrorist organization Islamic State. Fragile State Index Another way of measuring political stability is the Fragile States Index, compiled annually by the Fund for Peace. In 2024, Somalia was ranked as the most fragile state ahead of Sudan. The index measures state fragility on a range of economic, social, and political indicators.

The average for 2023 based on 20 countries was -0.17 points. The highest value was in Costa Rica: 0.98 points and the lowest value was in Haiti: -1.43 points. The indicator is available from 1996 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Political stability in North Africa remains a significant challenge, with all countries in the region recording negative index values in the political stability and absence of violence/terrorism index. As of 2023, Sudan recorded the lowest stability score in the region at -2.47. The country has seen a sharp and sustained decline in stability since 2020. This was in the aftermath of the 2019 protests, which led to the ousting of President Omar al-Bashir. The political situation worsened further in April 2023 as a result of the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), triggering widespread displacement and insecurity. Corruption, repression, and media control A lack of political freedoms and press freedom plays a significant role in shaping perceptions of instability. According to the World Press Freedom Index in 2024, countries like Egypt and Algeria fall into the categories of a “very serious” or “difficult” situation for media freedom, scoring 25.1 and 41.98 out of 100, respectively. Even relatively higher scorers such as Tunisia and Morocco remain in the “difficult” range. Limited press freedom and government control over information reduce transparency and restrict public oversight. This environment facilitates systemic corruption, as independent media are unable to investigate or report on abuses of power. Repressive state measures, including censorship and legal threats against journalists, further undermine institutional checks and balances. Combined with weak governance and the influence of organized crime, these dynamics contribute to persistent political instability across the region. Organized criminal networks The consequences of restricted transparency are reflected in high levels of perceived corruption and deeply embedded criminal networks. According to the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, Libya scored just 13 out of 100, while Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia all scored below 40, indicating high public concern about government corruption. These concerns align with findings from the ENACT Organized Crime Index, which highlights the dominance of state-embedded actors and criminal networks in the region. With scores of 7.67 and 5.67 respectively, the data suggests that criminal activities are often closely tied to political and institutional power structures. This interconnection between corrupt governance and organized crime further erodes public trust and reinforces the perception, and reality, of chronic instability across North Africa.

The average for 2023 based on 47 countries was -0.66 points. The highest value was in Botswana: 1.04 points and the lowest value was in Mali: -2.73 points. The indicator is available from 1996 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

The average for 2023 based on 24 countries was 0.47 points. The highest value was in Aruba: 1.43 points and the lowest value was in Haiti: -1.43 points. The indicator is available from 1996 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

In 2024, ******* was considered the world's most fragile state with a Fragile Index score of ***** on a scale from zero to 120, where a higher score suggests the state is more fragile. The country has been ridden by terrorism and violence over the past three decades, with Al-Shabaab being an active terrorist organization in the country. The Fragile States Index assigns each country a score based on a range of social, economic, and political indicators.

In 2023, Mali had the lowest score in the political stability and absence of violence or terrorism index in West Africa, at minus 2.73 points. Therefore, the country was considered completely politically unstable. In that year, all the West African countries recorded negative index values.

The average for 2023 based on 38 countries was 0.53 points. The highest value was in New Zealand: 1.36 points and the lowest value was in Israel: -1.46 points. The indicator is available from 1996 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Good governance is essential for development. It helps countries improve economic growth, build human capital, and strengthen social cohesion. Empirical evidence shows a strong causal relationship between better governance and better development outcomes. The Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) are designed to help researchers and analysts assess broad patterns in perceptions of governance across countries and over time. The WGI cover over 200 countries and territories, measuring six dimensions of governance starting in 1996: Voice and Accountability, Political Stability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism, Government Effectiveness, Regulatory Quality, Rule of Law, and Control of Corruption. The aggregate indicators are based on several hundred individual underlying variables, taken from a wide variety of existing data sources. The data reflect the views on governance of survey respondents and public, private, and NGO sector experts worldwide Political Stability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism measures perceptions of the likelihood of political instability and/or politically-motivated violence, including terrorism. Percentile rank indicates the country's rank among all countries covered by the aggregate indicator, with 0 corresponding to lowest rank, and 100 to highest rank. Percentile ranks have been adjusted to correct for changes over time in the composition of the countries covered by the WGI. Percentile Rank Upper refers to upper bound of 90 percent confidence interval for governance, expressed in percentile rank terms.

The average for 2023 based on 26 countries was -0.2 points. The highest value was in Qatar: 0.99 points and the lowest value was in Pakistan: -1.93 points. The indicator is available from 1996 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Country Risk Assessment helps businesses to confidently evaluate global markets by incorporating country evaluation into strategic planning. Analysing trends over time to forecast and proactively plan for potential market shifts.

Country Risk Assessment is an estimate of the average credit risk of a country’s businesses. It is drawn up based on macroeconomic, financial and political data. It offers: - An indication of a country’s potential influence on businesses’ financial commitments. - Insight into the economic and political environment that could impact credit risk.

Dataset Structure and Content: Assessment Coverage: 20 sample companies with country risk evaluations Geographic Diversity: Multiple countries represented via ISO-3166 alpha2 country codes.

Risk Classification System: The dataset employs a standardized A-E rating scale to categorize country risk levels: A1: Very good macroeconomic outlook with stable political context and quality business climate (lowest default probability) A2: Good macroeconomic outlook with generally stable political environment A3: Satisfactory outlook with some potential shortcomings A4: Reasonable default probability with potential economic weaknesses B: Uncertain economic outlook with potential political tensions C: Very uncertain outlook with potential political instability D: Highly uncertain outlook with very unstable political context E: Extremely uncertain outlook with extremely difficult business conditions (highest default probability)

Application Context: This sample demonstrates how country risk assessments can be systematically documented and tracked over time. Each assessment includes comprehensive evaluations of the macroeconomic environment, political stability, and business climate factors that directly influence payment behavior and default probabilities. The dataset structure allows for both current and historical tracking, enabling trend analysis and comparative risk evaluation across different national markets. It serves as a representative example of how comprehensive country risk data can be organized and utilized for strategic business decision-making. Note: This is sample data intended to demonstrate the structure and capabilities of a country risk assessment system.

Learn More For a complete demonstration of our Country Risk Assessment capabilities or to discuss how our system can be integrated with your existing processes, please visit https://business-information.coface.com/economic-insights to request additional information.

The Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) are a research dataset summarizing the views on the quality of governance provided by a large number of enterprise, citizen and expert survey respondents in industrial and developing countries. Governance consists of the traditions and institutions by which authority in a country is exercised. This includes the process by which governments are selected, monitored and replaced; the capacity of the government to effectively formulate and implement sound policies; and the respect of citizens and the state for the institutions that govern economic and social interactions among them. Political Stability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism measures perceptions of the likelihood of political instability and/or politically-motivated violence, including terrorism. Percentile rank indicates the country's rank among all countries covered by the aggregate indicator, with 0 corresponding to lowest rank, and 100 to highest rank. Percentile ranks have been adjusted to correct for changes over time in the composition of the countries covered by the WGI.

The average for 2023 based on 19 countries was 0.62 points. The highest value was in Luxembourg: 1.05 points and the lowest value was in Greece: 0.24 points. The indicator is available from 1996 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

On October 18, 2019, Chile experienced the most important social upheaval since the country regained democracy in the late 1980s. The “Social Outbreak” surprised economic and political elites and seemed paradoxical to the international community who had often praised Chile as a model of successful development. In this paper, we used structural-demographic theory to analyze the interaction between the overproduction of elites and the stagnation in the relative income of the population as the underlying structural cause of Chilean political instability. This theory was able to predict the three most significant instances of political tension in the recent history of Chile: the crisis of the late 1960s that culminated in the coup d’état of 1973, popular mobilizations during the 1980s, and the recent student mobilizations and social upheaval. Our results suggest that, at least during the period 1938–2019, Chilean sociopolitical dynamics is determined by the same structural drivers.

In 2023, the Central African Republic had the lowest score in the political stability and absence of violence or terrorism index in Central Africa, at minus 2.2 points. As a consequence, the country was considered completely politically unstable. In the period under review, two Central African countries recorded positive index values, with São Tomé and Príncipe and the Republic of Congo achieving scores of 0.44 points and 0.02 points, respectively.

In 2023, Mozambique had the lowest score in the political stability and absence of violence or terrorism index in Southern Africa, at minus 1.27 points. This indicates that the country is facing moderate to significant challenges, which have led to a low stability outcome. This is likely due to historical grievances, governance challenges, regional disparities, and external threats such as terrorism. In the same year, a few Southern African countries recorded positive index values, with Botswana achieving the highest score of 1.04 points.

Political Stability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism measures perceptions of the likelihood of political instability and/or politically-motivated violence, including terrorism. Percentile rank indicates the country's rank among all countries covered by the aggregate indicator, with 0 corresponding to lowest rank, and 100 to highest rank. Percentile ranks have been adjusted to correct for changes over time in the composition of the countries covered by the WGI. Percentile Rank Upper refers to upper bound of 90 percent confidence interval for governance, expressed in percentile rank terms.

In Nigeria, political, economic, and social grievances are causing violence and deaths. Several militant groups are active in the country, leading to attacks on both civilian and military targets. Boko Haram is the deadliest terrorist group, an affiliate of the Islamic State. Confrontations between Boko Haram and the Nigerian State provoked over 22.9 thousand deaths between 2011 and 2023. Nigeria is the country most affected by the terrorist group's attacks. However, Boko Haram is responsible for thousands of deaths in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. The Nigerian State of Borno is by far the most threatened state, in that, Boko Haram has caused around 34 thousand deaths in this area. Among the news on attacks mostly present in the media, the kidnapping of 276 female students from a secondary school in Borno in 2014 received a global response. As of April 2021, over 100 girls were still missing, and six students were believed to have died.

Foreign Relations. Relations of country to the USA. Combatting international terrorism. Topics: most important issue currently facing own country; attitude towards the amount of expenditure for different government programs; attitude towards the amount of defense spending and economic aid to other nations by the US; knowledge of US president´s name; assessment of influence of the USA, Russia, Germany, China, Great Britain, France and the European Union in the world (0 to 10 scale); attitude towards strong leadership in world affairs by the USA and by the European Union; economic or military strength more important for overall power and influence in the world; support for an active role of own country in international politics; assessment of the George W. Bush administration´s handling of foreign policy in general, international terrorism, the Arab/Israeli conflict, Iraq, global warming, Afghanistan and its relations with Europe (4-point scale); importance of European Union and the USA for vital interests of own country; personal preference of superpower status for the European Union and/or the USA; preferred role of the European Union in international politics; willingness to accept increase in military expenditures for European superpower status; assessment of different threats to the vital interests of own country or Europe: political instability in Russia, economic competition from the USA, development of China as a world power, Islamic fundamentalism, international terrorism, rising number of immigrants and refugees, global warming, globalization, Arab/Israeli conflict, Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, tensions between India and Pakistan; 100-point sympathy temperature scale for the USA, Russia, Germany, Israel, Great Britain, France, the European Union and Iraq; attitude towards NATO´s importance for own country´s security; attitude towards the expansion of NATO to include any of the following countries: Rumania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia and Russia; knowledge of the location of NATO headquarters; attitude towards the use of own country´s military to ensure the supply of oil, to destroy terrorist camps, to bring peace to civil war areas, to liberate hostages, to help relieve famines, to uphold international law; attitude towards Europe focusing on economic development and humanitarian assistance and the US specializing in military interventions; attitude towards a US invasion of Iraq and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein; attitude towards involvement of own country´s troops in possible military action in Iraq; support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state; support for more involvement of own country and the USA in the Middle East talks even at the price of increased political and economic costs; attitude towards different measures to combat terrorism; attitude towards blaming American foreign policy for September 11 attacks; US genuinely trying to protect itself from further attacks or using the attacks to enforce its will around the globe; attitude towards strengthening international institutions; assessment of trade relations with the USA and Japan; support for the use of biotechnology or genetic manipulation in agriculture and food production; globalization good or bad for: own country´s economy, strengthening of poor countries´ economy, maintaining cultural diversity, own standard of living. Demography: sex, age (categorized), school education, self-placement on a left-right continuum, party preference; voting intention (Sonntagsfrage); occupation; number of persons older than 17 in household (reduced size of household). Additional variables: region, social class, size of hometown, area of residence; size of municipality. Internationale Beziehungen. Verhältnis des Landes zu den USA. Terrorbekämpfung. Themen: Wichtigste derzeitige Problematik; Einstellung zur Ausgabenhöhe ausgewählter Regierungsprogramme; Einstellung zur Höhe der Rüstungsausgaben und der wirtschaftlichen Hilfe für andere Nationen in den USA; Kenntnis des Namens des Präsidenten der Vereinigten Staaten; Einschätzung des weltweiten Einflusses der USA, Russlands, Deutschlands, Chinas, Großbritanniens, Frankreichs und der Europäischen Union (Skalometer); Einstellung zu einem Führungsanspruch der USA und der Europäischen Union in der internationalen Politik; wirtschaftliche Stärke oder militärische Stärke entscheidend für Macht und Einfluss eines Landes; Übernahme einer aktiven Rolle des eigenen Landes in der internationalen Politik; Beurteilung der amerikanischen Regierung unter George W. Bush bezüglich der Außenpolitik, des internationalen Terrorismus, des Irak-Konflikts, der globalen Erwärmung, des Krieges in Afghanistan und der Beziehungen zu Europa (Skala); Präferenz für eine Orientierung an der Europäischen Union oder den USA; Einstellung zur Rolle der USA bzw. der Europäischen Union als Supermacht; gewünschte Entwicklung Europas zur Supermacht trotz höherer Militärausgaben; Einstufung ausgewählter Bedrohungen der Interessen des eigenen Landes bzw. Europas: politischer Tumult in Russland, wirtschaftlicher Wettbewerb seitens der USA, die Entwicklung von China zur Weltmacht, islamischer Fundamentalismus, internationaler Terrorismus, hohe Zahl von Einwanderern und Flüchtlingen, Treibhauseffekt, Globalisierung, militärischer Konflikt zwischen Israel und seinen arabischen Nachbarn, Entwicklung von Massenvernichtungswaffen durch den Irak sowie Spannung zwischen Indien und Pakistan; Sympathie-Skalometer (100-stufige Skala) für die USA, Russland, Deutschland, Israel, Großbritannien, Frankreich, die Europäische Union und den Irak; Einstellung zur Bedeutung der NATO für die Sicherheit; Einstellung zur Erweiterung der NATO um Rumänien, die Slowakei, Bulgarien, Slowenien, Litauen, Estland, Lettland sowie Russland; Kenntnis des Hauptsitzes der NATO; Einstellung zum Einsatz landeseigener Truppen zur Sicherung der Ölversorgung, des Friedensprozesses, des internationalen Rechts sowie gegen Terroristenlager, zur Geiselbefreiung und Beseitigung von Hungersnot; Einstellung zur Spezialisierung der USA bei Konflikten im militärischen Bereich und Europas im wirtschaftlichen und humanitären Bereich; Einstellung zum Einmarsch der USA in den Irak zum Sturz von Saddam Hussein; Einstellung zu einer Beteiligung des eigenen Landes an einer Militäraktion im Irak; Befürwortung der Errichtung eines unabhängigen Palästinenserstaates im West-Jordangebiet und dem Gaza-Streifen; Befürwortung einer stärkeren Verhandlungsbeteiligung der USA bzw. der Europäischen Union im Mittleren Osten um den Preis höherer politischer und wirtschaftlicher Kosten; Einstellung zu ausgewählten Maßnahmen der Terrorismusbekämpfung; amerikanische Außenpolitik als Mitverursacher des Anschlags vom 11. September; Anschläge als Rechtfertigung für Machtstreben der USA oder als Schutz vor weiteren Anschlägen; Einstellung zur Stärkung internationaler Institutionen; Beurteilung der USA und Japans als faire Handelspartner Europas; Befürwortung der Verwendung von Biotechnologie oder Genmanipulation in der Landwirtschaft und bei der Lebensmittelproduktion; Beurteilung der Globalisierung im Hinblick auf die Wirtschaft des eigenen Landes, die Schaffung von Arbeitsplätzen und die Stärkung der Wirtschaft in armen Ländern, die Aufrechterhaltung der kulturellen Vielfalt in der Welt und den eigenen Lebensstandard. Demographie: Geschlecht, Alter (klassiert); höchster Schulabschluss; Selbsteinstufung auf einem Links-Rechts-Kontinuum; Parteipräferenz (Sonntagsfrage); Beruf; Anzahl der Personen im Haushalt ab 18 Jahren. Zusätzlich verkodet wurde: Region; Schichtzugehörigkeit; Ortsgröße; Wohnumfeld; Gemeindegröße.