These are the most fragile countries in the world

The annual Fragile States Index, which looks at the social and economic stability of 178 countries of the world, has been released.

Collated by the organisation *Fund for Peace*, the comprehensive study seeks to:

Spur conversations, encourage debate and most of all help guide strategies for sustainable security.

The list is compiled using 12 social, economic, political and military indicators of stability (or in this case, fragility):

• Demographic pressures
• Refugees and internally displaced persons
• Uneven economic development
• Group grievance
• Human flight and brain drain
• Poverty and economic decline

• State legitimacy
• Public services
• Human rights and rule of law
• Security apparatus
• Factionalised elites
• External intervention

The dark red areas of the map represent the most fragile countries...

A rundown of the ten most and least fragile states in the word yields some interesting results.

Most fragile

1. Somalia

2. South Sudan

3. Central African Republic

4. Sudan

5. Yemen

6. Syria

7. Chad

8. Democratic Republic of Congo

9. Afghanistan

10. Haiti

Many of the above countries have been ravaged by civil war, natural disasters and political turmoil. Somalia is the most fragile, and Syria, which is currently suffering the biggest refugee crisis in history, is sixth.

Least fragile

1. Finland

2. Norway

3. New Zealand

4. Denmark

5. Switzerland

6. Australia

7. Ireland

8. Sweden

9. Iceland

10. Canada

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