🇺🇸 United States of America
Visiting: Reasonable
The United States is generally safe, with a few caveats. LGBT rights are solid, ranking 35th, and freedom is well protected, at 37th. Where it lags, though, is conflict: there is some exposure, placed 113th. Women's safety is good, ranking 38th, violent crime is moderate, at 101st, and road deaths sit mid-range, placed 105th.
Homicide
Intentional homicides per 100,000 people — lower is better.
United States: 4.1
Ranked 80th in the world for the highest homicide rate.
Why this rank?
Four killings per 100,000 people a year is below the world average but above the three where the low tier ends, so it lands in the middle.
Is it safe to visit?
Reasonable. Below the world average, and about one killing in ten is by a stranger.
Why we updated the score?
The FBI has published its 2025 rate, the lowest ever recorded. The UN takes its figure from the FBI a year later, so we used the new rate.
Road Fatalities
Road-traffic deaths per 100,000 people per year — lower is better.
United States: 14.2
Ranked 76th in the world for the deadliest roads.
Why this rank?
Fourteen deaths per 100,000 people a year is a whisker under the world average of fifteen.
Is it safe to visit?
Reasonable, if high for a rich country. Just below the world average, and two-thirds of the deaths are people in cars.
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.
United States: 2.19
Ranked 68th most conflict-affected country in the world.
Why this rank?
One person died in fighting inside the United States in January 2026, a civilian killed on purpose, and none since.
Is it safe to visit?
Reasonable. The United States fought a war in Iran in 2026 and struck Iraq and Yemen, but none of it reaches home. One person died at home in January, and none since.
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.
United States: 8.39
Ranked 37th freest country in the world.
Why this rank?
In the United States the lowest are speech, press and due process at 3. Total 21 of 24.
Is it safe to visit?
A strong rule-of-law tradition with robust protections for expression and religion, rated one step from the top on speech, press and due process. In 2025 media companies faced federal investigations over their content.
LGBT Rights
LGBT equality in law and daily life — higher is better.
United States: 6.6
Ranked 35th most equal in the world for LGBT people.
Why this rank?
Marriage nationwide since 2015, but federal and state rollbacks on trans healthcare, school policy and recognition now make rights depend on the state. The law index scores 75, public opinion 56.
Is it safe to visit?
Fine in the big cities, which are as open as anywhere on earth. The climate around trans people has turned hostile in large parts of the country.
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.
United States: 8.24
Ranked 38th safest country in the world for women.
Why this rank?
The courts rate high and violence at home is low. Fifty-eight percent of women feel safe out alone at night, which is what holds it back.
Is it safe to visit?
The United States is a safe country for a woman travelling alone.