180 countries ranked by safety, peace, freedom and LGBT+ equality
Visiting: Recommend CautionLGBT+ visiting: Recommend Caution
Bahrain works best as a long stopover with history on the side. The Dilmun burial mounds form one of the world's largest prehistoric cemeteries, the old pearling houses of Muharraq are quietly lovely, and the F1 takes over every spring. It's very safe and easy to get around. Attitudes to LGBT+ visitors are conservative, so keep it low-key.
Intentional homicides per 100,000 people — lower is better.
Bahrain: 0.2
Ranked 5th in the world for the lowest homicide rate.
0.2 homicides per 100,000 people in 2022 — killings here are genuinely rare.
Lower than 95% of the 230 countries and territories measured.
How peaceful the country is — lower is better.
Bahrain: 2.1
Ranked 64th least peaceful country in the world.
More peaceful than 39% of the 163 countries ranked, scoring 2.099.
Down 7 places since 2024.
Personal and economic freedom — higher is better.
Bahrain: 5.4
Ranked 46th least free country in the world.
Less free than 78% of the 165 countries measured — 5.44 out of 10.
Day-to-day life (speech, movement, religion) scores 4.04; doing business and owning property, 7.41.
LGBT+ equality in law and daily life — higher is better.
Bahrain: 3.7
Ranked 86th least equal in the world for LGBT+ people.
Ranks behind 52% of the 197 countries scored for LGBT+ equality — 37 out of 100.
Public opinion runs ahead of the law — attitudes score 42 out of 100, legal protections 32.