180 countries ranked by safety, peace, freedom and LGBT+ equality
Visiting: Not RecommendedLGBT+ visiting: Not Recommended
Turkmenistan is the strangest trip you can legally take: a gas crater that's been on fire since 1971, the Silk Road ruins of Merv, and a white-marble capital built for show. You'll see it all on a guided itinerary, because that's effectively the only way in — this is one of the most closed states on earth. Homosexuality is illegal: LGBT+ travellers should pass. For the curious, it's unforgettable in its own odd way.
Intentional homicides per 100,000 people — lower is better.
Turkmenistan: 3.4
Ranked 86th in the world for the highest homicide rate.
An estimated 3.43 homicides per 100,000 people as of 2021 — a moderate rate by world standards. The last nationally reported figure was 1.01, back in 2015.
Lower than 50% of the 230 countries and territories measured.
How peaceful the country is — lower is better.
Turkmenistan: 2.0
Ranked 77th least peaceful country in the world.
More peaceful than 47% of the 163 countries ranked, scoring 2.019.
Up 7 places since 2024.
Personal and economic freedom — higher is better.
Turkmenistan: 3.6
Ranked 5th least free country in the world.
The Human Freedom Index needs economic data Turkmenistan doesn't publish, so this 3.59 is our own estimate — built with the index's published method: the same 12 categories of personal and economic freedom, equally weighted.
Day-to-day life (speech, movement, religion) scores 3.74; doing business and owning property, 3.37. Scored from the index's own underlying sources — V-Dem, Freedom House, UNODC, CPJ and World Bank data.
LGBT+ equality in law and daily life — higher is better.
Turkmenistan: Illegal
Ranked 55th least equal in the world for LGBT+ people.
Homosexuality is criminalised here, with a maximum penalty of two years imprisonment.
No public-opinion data is available for this country.