180 countries ranked by safety, peace, freedom and LGBT+ equality
Visiting: RecommendedLGBT+ visiting: Recommend Caution
Petra deserves every bit of the hype — give it two days, and stay for the candlelit evening if you can. Then sleep in a Bedouin camp in Wadi Rum and float in the Dead Sea on the way back. Jordan has been the Middle East's reliable first trip for decades: very safe, easy to organise, used to visitors. Same-sex relationships aren't illegal, but attitudes are conservative, so LGBT+ couples should keep it low-key.
Intentional homicides per 100,000 people — lower is better.
Jordan: 0.8
Ranked 25th in the world for the lowest homicide rate.
0.84 homicides per 100,000 people in 2024 — killings here are genuinely rare.
Lower than 82% of the 230 countries and territories measured.
How peaceful the country is — lower is better.
Jordan: 2.0
Ranked 89th most peaceful country in the world.
More peaceful than 56% of the 163 countries ranked, scoring 1.957.
Down 2 places since 2024.
Personal and economic freedom — higher is better.
Jordan: 6.6
Ranked 83rd least free country in the world.
Less free than 56% of the 165 countries measured — 6.63 out of 10.
Day-to-day life (speech, movement, religion) scores 6.04; doing business and owning property, 7.46.
LGBT+ equality in law and daily life — higher is better.
Jordan: 1.7
Ranked 59th least equal in the world for LGBT+ people.
Ranks behind 77% of the 197 countries scored for LGBT+ equality — 17 out of 100.
The law runs ahead of public opinion here — legal protections score 27 out of 100, everyday attitudes 6.