180 countries ranked by safety, peace, freedom and LGBT+ equality
Visiting: Not RecommendedLGBT+ visiting: Not Recommended
Uruguay is South America with the volume turned down: Colonia's cobbles, Punta del Este's beaches, the car-free dunes of Cabo Polonio, and the continent's best scores for freedom, democracy and LGBT+ rights. It legalised cannabis before anyone else and remains deeply unbothered. Homicide numbers have drifted up, concentrated in a few Montevideo districts — visitors mostly find it sleepy. City sense covers it.
Intentional homicides per 100,000 people — lower is better.
Uruguay: 11.3
Ranked 26th in the world for the highest homicide rate.
11.28 homicides per 100,000 people in 2024 — a high rate by any standard.
Higher than 82% of the 230 countries and territories measured.
How peaceful the country is — lower is better.
Uruguay: 1.8
Ranked 62nd most peaceful country in the world.
More peaceful than 71% of the 163 countries ranked, scoring 1.784.
Holding steady — unchanged since 2024.
Personal and economic freedom — higher is better.
Uruguay: 8.1
Ranked 37th freest country in the world.
Freer than 80% of the 165 countries measured — 8.18 out of 10.
Day-to-day life (speech, movement, religion) scores 8.91; doing business and owning property, 7.16.
LGBT+ equality in law and daily life — higher is better.
Uruguay: 8.7
Ranked 3rd most equal in the world for LGBT+ people.
One of the ten best countries on Earth for LGBT+ equality — scoring 87 out of 100.
The law runs ahead of public opinion here — legal protections score 100 out of 100, everyday attitudes 74.