180 countries ranked by safety, peace, freedom and LGBT+ equality
Visiting: Not RecommendedLGBT+ visiting: Not Recommended
AlUla is the headline: Nabataean tombs to rival Petra, minus the crowds. Saudi Arabia only recently opened to tourists at all, so the Red Sea reefs are untouched and the sights uncrowded. Day to day it's extremely safe and calm. But this is travel strictly on the state's terms, and homosexuality carries the death penalty — LGBT+ travellers must not go.
Intentional homicides per 100,000 people — lower is better.
Saudi Arabia: 0.8
Ranked 25th in the world for the lowest homicide rate.
0.8 homicides per 100,000 people in 2024 — killings here are genuinely rare.
Lower than 84% of the 230 countries and territories measured.
How peaceful the country is — lower is better.
Saudi Arabia: 2.0
Ranked 74th least peaceful country in the world.
More peaceful than 45% of the 163 countries ranked, scoring 2.035.
Climbed 14 places since 2024 — one of the year's bigger rises.
Personal and economic freedom — higher is better.
Saudi Arabia: 4.9
Ranked 25th least free country in the world.
Less free than 89% of the 165 countries measured — 4.97 out of 10.
Day-to-day life (speech, movement, religion) scores 3.55; doing business and owning property, 6.95.
LGBT+ equality in law and daily life — higher is better.
Saudi Arabia: Death
Ranked 11th least equal in the world for LGBT+ people.
Homosexuality is criminalised here, with a maximum penalty of death penalty.
Public attitudes score 22 out of 100 — the law and public opinion are not the same thing.