🇲🇰 Republic of North Macedonia (Северна Македонија)
Visiting: Reasonable
North Macedonia is broadly safe, with one or two things to weigh first. Road deaths are low, ranking 44th, and violent crime is rare, the 48th-lowest homicide rate. Its weakest measure is conflict: there is some exposure, placed 77th, though that is still inside the top half. Women's safety is good, LGBT rights are limited and freedom is only partly protected, all ranking between 60th and 68th.
Homicide
Intentional homicides per 100,000 people — lower is better.
North Macedonia: 1.3
Ranked 48th in the world for the lowest homicide rate.
Why this rank?
Just over one killing per 100,000 people a year is a shade outside the line that marks the safest countries.
Is it safe to visit?
Go without a second thought. Strangers are almost never involved.
Road Fatalities
Road-traffic deaths per 100,000 people per year — lower is better.
North Macedonia: 7.0
Ranked 44th in the world for the safest roads.
Why this rank?
Seven deaths per 100,000 people a year is low but close to seven and a half, which is half the world average.
Is it safe to visit?
Safe by world standards.
Why we updated the score?
The WHO's 2021 figure was North Macedonia's own count. The interior ministry has published 2024, so we've used the newer count. The 2025 count isn't out in full.
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.
North Macedonia: 1.30
Ranked 77th least conflict-affected country in the world.
Why this rank?
No conflict death is recorded in North Macedonia in the last five years. The last one the Uppsala conflict database has was in August 2001.
Is it safe to visit?
Safe. The 2001 insurgency ended in a power-sharing deal that has held for two decades, and its remaining arguments are diplomatic.
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.
North Macedonia: 6.71
Ranked 68th freest country in the world.
Why this rank?
In North Macedonia the lowest is due process at 2. Total 17 of 24.
Is it safe to visit?
Vigorous public debate, but journalists and activists face pressure and intimidation, and corruption persists. Due process is the low rating. Daily life is open.
LGBT Rights
LGBT equality in law and daily life — higher is better.
North Macedonia: 4.9
Ranked 67th most equal in the world for LGBT people.
Why this rank?
Same-sex acts have been legal since 1996 and anti-discrimination law was restored in 2019, but there is no partnership recognition. The law index sits at 66 and public opinion at 33.
Is it safe to visit?
Reasonable. Skopje Pride began in 2019 and continues. Attitudes remain among the region's most conservative.
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.
North Macedonia: 7.82
Ranked 60th safest country in the world for women.
Why this rank?
Sixty-eight percent of women feel safe out alone at night, no attacks on women are recorded, and partner violence is four percent. The courts, rated below fair, pull it down.
Is it safe to visit?
A woman travelling alone will find North Macedonia reasonable.