The 10 least secure African countries on the law and order index

According to the 2024 Global Safety Report by Gallup, globally, 5% of people report being victims of violent crime in the past two years — a figure that, while seemingly small, represents millions of disrupted lives, shattered families and communities gripped by fear.

The Law and Order Index reflects public perceptions of safety, based on a survey of 146,000 people from 140 countries. Respondents were asked about their perceptions on three key areas: Feelings of personal safety, Confidence in police and Experience of assault and theft.

Political instability, armed conflicts, economic inequality, and weak rule of law create challenges to safety in Africa

The feeling of security gives people the opportunity to flourish—enjoy greater economic stability, actively contribute to their communities, and lead longer, healthier lives.

Many African countries struggle to uphold the rule of law due to underfunded or corrupt law enforcement. Poorly trained and resourced police forces, combined with a lack of accountability, hinder their ability to maintain order and protect citizens

Compared to last year, Gallup notes that global perceptions of safety and confidence in police have risen, largely due to increasing confidence in local law enforcement. Regardless of a country’s wealth, confidence in local police is one of the strongest predictors of people feeling safe.

51% of residents in Sub-Saharan Africa reported being unsafe

From the report, Sub-Saharan Africa had the highest number of unsafe individuals (51%) with Latin America and the Caribbean (47%). Most people have reported feeling more unsafe in sub-Saharan Africa than in any other region in the past two decades.

The data below shows how African countries ranked in the 2024 Law and Order Index scores;

Rank	Global Rank	Country	Score
1	140	Liberia	50
2	138	Sierra Leone	57
3	137	South Africa	58
4	136	DRC	58
5	135	The Gambia	59
6	134	Chad	60
7	133	Botswana	60
8	132	Uganda	62
9	131	Gabon	62
10	130	Eswatini	62

Countries with a higher safety index score like Kuwait (98) Singapore (95) and Tajikistan (95) are deemed the safest countries in the world while the countries with the lowest scores were the most unsafe countries.

In Africa, Liberia ranks at the top of the most unsafe countries for the second consecutive year. As one of the world’s poorest nations, it has long struggled with political corruption and limited access to public services, which have worsened public perceptions of safety.

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