🇪🇨 Republic of Ecuador
Visiting: Dangerous
Ecuador carries real risks. Violent crime is the defining risk: homicide ranks 179th, one of the highest rates in the world. On the other side of the ledger, LGBT rights are solid, ranking 39th, and freedom is only partly protected, at 74th. Women's safety is poor, there is significant exposure to conflict and the roads are hazardous, all ranking between 136th and 158th.
Homicide
Intentional homicides per 100,000 people — lower is better.
Ecuador: 51.1
Ranked 2nd in the world for the highest homicide rate.
Why this rank?
Fifty-one killings per 100,000 people a year is five times the ten that marks the deadliest countries.
Is it safe to visit?
A serious risk for a visitor. One of the world's highest rates — nearly nine times the world average — and a third of the killings are tied to organised crime.
Why we updated the score?
The interior ministry has published its 2025 count, up 31% on 2024 and a record. The UN takes its figure from the ministry a year later, so we've used the new count.
Road Fatalities
Road-traffic deaths per 100,000 people per year — lower is better.
Ecuador: 23.4
Ranked 23rd in the world for the deadliest roads.
Why this rank?
Twenty-three deaths per 100,000 people a year is well above the world average of fifteen but short of double it.
Is it safe to visit?
Not safe. Half as high again as the world average.
Conflict
Conflict deaths inside the country in the last twelve months, as recorded by the Uppsala conflict database, civilians killed on purpose, and any UN sanctions or court order over a war. The worst of those sets the colour. Lower is better.
Ecuador: 2.78
Ranked 41st most conflict-affected country in the world.
Why this rank?
25 people died in fighting inside Ecuador in the year to July 2026, 20 of them civilians killed on purpose.
Is it safe to visit?
Take care in Guayas and Manabí, where a gang at war with the state killed 19 civilians in the year to July 2026. The wider gang wars are counted under Homicide.
Freedom
Six freedoms rated 0–4 by Freedom House — protest, speech, press, religion, movement and due process. The weakest rating sets the colour, and the total places the country inside it — higher is better.
Ecuador: 6.56
Ranked 74th freest country in the world.
Why this rank?
In Ecuador the lowest are press, movement and due process at 2. Total 16 of 24.
Is it safe to visit?
Competitive elections, but organised crime has grown sharply, states of emergency bring de facto restrictions, and police and soldiers abused protesters in 2025. Press, movement and due process are the low ratings.
LGBT Rights
LGBT equality in law and daily life — higher is better.
Ecuador: 6.4
Ranked 39th most equal in the world for LGBT people.
Why this rank?
Same-sex marriage has been legal since 2019 by constitutional-court ruling. The law index scores 86 but public opinion 42, and that gap sets the rank.
Is it safe to visit?
Fine, with discretion. The ruling ran ahead of opinion in a conservative country, and urban acceptance is growing steadily.
Women's Safety
Women's safety — feeling safe out at night, political violence against women, a fair hearing in court, and how normal violence at home is, with the night figure setting a floor on the colour — higher is better.
Ecuador: 6.31
Ranked 45th least safe country in the world for women.
Why this rank?
Partner violence is eight percent. Only 31 percent of women feel safe out alone at night, the courts rate below fair, and attacks on women were recorded in 2024.
Is it safe to visit?
A woman travelling alone should take care when visiting Ecuador.