Venezuela Tops List of Most Dangerous Countries for Solo Travelers, Israel Ranks 68th

A new ranking by U.S. travel insurance company SquareMouth identifies Venezuela as the most dangerous destination for solo travelers, citing factors like access to quality medical care, security, local safety perceptions, and internet availability. The study analyzed 113 countries, with Venezuela scoring 9.74 out of 10 on a risk scale, where 10 represents the highest risk. Less than 10% of Venezuelans reported feeling safe walking alone at night, and the country has faced significant political and natural instability.

Four other South American nations are among the top ten most dangerous countries, including Peru in second place, where nearly 60% of locals expressed fear of attack, contributing to high crime rates. Gabon ranks third due to limited medical infrastructure, with an average of only two hospital beds per thousand residents. Colombia, Bolivia, Jamaica, Guyana, Ecuador, Trinidad and Tobago, and South Africa round out the top ten.

In contrast, San Marino, Andorra, and Singapore are considered the safest destinations for solo travel, with San Marino achieving a low score of 0.78. European countries dominate the list of safe destinations, including Austria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Qatar, Brunei, Denmark, and Slovenia.

While SquareMouth's ranking considered general risks, Israel's National Security Council (NSC) recently issued its own threat assessment for Israelis abroad, designating Iran, Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq as Level 4 threat countries where travel is strictly prohibited. Additionally, the NSC advised strongly against travel to Malaysia, Bangladesh, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Turkey, Jordan, and Egypt (including the Sinai Peninsula) due to high risks, even though travel is technically permitted.

Israel itself was ranked 68th in the SquareMouth study with a risk score of 4.46 out of 10, placing it below countries like the United States (37th) and Italy (45th).