The term state often refers to an area governed by a single entity, such as the federal government. However, what happens if the political system as a whole fails to function properly? The outcome is a failing state.

To be classified as a failed state, one must possess the following traits. Firstly, the government cannot exert its control over the people and the land.
The second problem is that it can’t keep its borders secure. In other words, the government system has failed miserably. A failed state’s government cannot manage its citizens or resources, and there are few public services available.
There are several reasons why a state may become bankrupt. Corrupt and predatory government officials are a big factor. Other causes include civil wars, genocide, and ethnic conflict.
Public laws can’t be enforced, infrastructure is poorly constructed, and human rights are not adequately safeguarded in a failed state. In a failed state, there is no physical protection for its citizens and no stable political or economic structures.
Now, several nations are considered “failed states,” while others are considered “vulnerable,” meaning that they risk collapsing if nothing is done soon.

The corruption in countries like Nicaragua, Brazil, Sudan, and North Korea puts them at risk of disintegration. Rebellion threatens to bring down states like Libya, Iraq, Pakistan, and perhaps Siberia. Nigeria and Nepal are in danger because of the failure of democracy in other countries.
Also See: Eastern Bloc Countries 2022
States like Iraq, Yemen, and Turkey risk religious and ethnic strife because of their diverse populations.
Country | Fragile States Index | 2022 Population |
---|---|---|
Yemen | 113.5000 | 31154.8670 |
Somalia | 112.3000 | 16841.7950 |
South Sudan | 112.2000 | 11618.5110 |
Syria | 111.5000 | 19364.8090 |
DR Congo | 110.2000 | 95240.7920 |
Central African Republic | 108.9000 | 5016.6780 |
Chad | 108.5000 | 17413.5800 |
Sudan | 108 | 45992.0200 |
Afghanistan | 105 | 40754.3880 |
Zimbabwe | 99.5000 | 15331.4280 |
Guinea | 99.4000 | 13865.6910 |
Haiti | 99.3000 | 11680.2830 |
Iraq | 99.1000 | 42164.9650 |
Nigeria | 98.5000 | 216746.9340 |
Burundi | 98.2000 | 12624.8400 |
Cameroon | 97 | 27911.5480 |
Eritrea | 96.4000 | 3662.2440 |
Niger | 96.2000 | 26083.6600 |
Guinea-Bissau | 95.5000 | 2063.3670 |
Uganda | 95.3000 | 48432.8630 |
Mali | 94.5000 | 21473.7640 |
Myanmar | 94.3000 | 55227.1430 |
Pakistan | 94.2000 | 229488.9940 |
Ethiopia | 94.2000 | 120812.6980 |
Kenya | 93.5000 | 56215.2210 |
North Korea | 92.7000 | 25990.6790 |
Republic of the Congo | 92.5000 | 5797.8050 |
Libya | 92.2000 | 7040.7450 |
Ivory Coast | 92.1000 | 27742.2980 |
Liberia | 90.2000 | 5305.1170 |
Mauritania | 90.1000 | 4901.9810 |
Venezuela | 89.3000 | 29266.9910 |
Mozambique | 88.7000 | 33089.4610 |
Egypt | 88.4000 | 106156.6920 |
Angola | 87.8000 | 35027.3430 |
Bangladesh | 87.7000 | 167885.6890 |
Rwanda | 87.5000 | 13600.4640 |
Togo | 87.4000 | 8680.8370 |
Sierra Leone | 86.8000 | 8306.4360 |
Zambia | 85.7000 | 19470.2340 |
Timor-Leste | 85.5000 | 1369.4290 |
Eswatini | 85.3000 | 1184.8170 |
Djibouti | 85.1000 | 1016.0970 |
Lebanon | 85 | 6684.8490 |
Nepal | 84.7000 | 30225.5820 |
Sri Lanka | 84 | 21575.8420 |
Burkina Faso | 83.9000 | 22102.8380 |
Gambia | 83.9000 | 2558.4820 |
Malawi | 83.3000 | 20180.8390 |
Philippines | 83.1000 | 112508.9940 |
Papua New Guinea | 83.1000 | 9292.1690 |
Iran | 83 | 86022.8370 |
Equatorial Guinea | 82.6000 | 1496.6620 |
Cambodia | 82.5000 | 17168.6390 |
Solomon Islands | 81.9000 | 721.1590 |
Comoros | 81.7000 | 907.4190 |
Guatemala | 81.4000 | 18584.0390 |
Madagascar | 80.9000 | 29178.0770 |
Turkey | 80.3000 | 85561.9760 |
Tanzania | 80.1000 | 63298.5500 |
Lesotho | 79.7000 | 2175.6990 |
Laos | 78.7000 | 7481.0230 |
Nicaragua | 78.1000 | 6779.1000 |
Honduras | 77.8000 | 10221.2470 |
Tajikistan | 77.7000 | 9957.4640 |
Senegal | 77.2000 | 17653.6710 |
Israel | 76.5000 | 8922.8920 |
Kyrgyzstan | 76.2000 | 6728.2710 |
Jordan | 75.9000 | 10300.8690 |
Colombia | 75.7000 | 51512.7620 |
Uzbekistan | 75.7000 | 34382.0840 |
Algeria | 75.4000 | 45350.1480 |
Russia | 74.7000 | 145805.9470 |
India | 74.4000 | 1406631.7760 |
Morocco | 73.9000 | 37772.7560 |
Benin | 73.6000 | 12784.7260 |
Azerbaijan | 73.2000 | 10300.2050 |
Thailand | 73.1000 | 70078.2030 |
Micronesia | 73 | 117.4890 |
Bolivia | 72.9000 | 11992.6560 |
Georgia | 72 | 3968.7380 |
Bhutan | 72 | 787.9410 |
Brazil | 71.8000 | 215353.5930 |
Fiji | 71.7000 | 909.4660 |
Turkmenistan | 71.4000 | 6201.9430 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 71.3000 | 3249.3170 |
Ecuador | 71.2000 | 18113.3610 |
China | 71.1000 | 1448471.4000 |
South Africa | 71.1000 | 60756.1350 |
Sao Tome and Principe | 71.1000 | 227.6790 |
Ukraine | 71 | 43192.1220 |
Gabon | 70.5000 | 2331.5330 |
Indonesia | 70.4000 | 279134.5050 |
Saudi Arabia | 70.4000 | 35844.9090 |
Tunisia | 70.1000 | 12046.6560 |
El Salvador | 69.8000 | 6550.3890 |
Maldives | 69.8000 | 540.9850 |
Mexico | 69.7000 | 131562.7720 |
Peru | 68.2000 | 33684.2080 |
Belarus | 68.2000 | 9432.8000 |
Guyana | 68.2000 | 794.0450 |
Serbia | 68 | 8653.0160 |
Moldova | 67.1000 | 4013.1710 |
Paraguay | 67 | 7305.8430 |
Armenia | 66.7000 | 2971.9660 |
Cape Verde | 66.6000 | 567.6780 |
Namibia | 66.4000 | 2633.8740 |
Dominican Republic | 66.2000 | 11056.3700 |
Vietnam | 66.1000 | 98953.5410 |
Ghana | 65.9000 | 32395.4500 |
Samoa | 64.2000 | 202.2390 |
Bahrain | 63.8000 | 1783.9830 |
Belize | 62.5000 | 412.1900 |
Suriname | 61.9000 | 596.8310 |
Kazakhstan | 61.6000 | 19205.0430 |
Jamaica | 61.2000 | 2985.0940 |
Cuba | 60.8000 | 11305.6520 |
Malaysia | 60.5000 | 33181.0720 |
Botswana | 59.5000 | 2441.1620 |
Albania | 58.9000 | 2866.3740 |
Cyprus | 57.8000 | 1223.3870 |
Grenada | 57.6000 | 113.4750 |
Brunei | 57.5000 | 445.4310 |
Montenegro | 55.3000 | 627.9500 |
Seychelles | 55.2000 | 99.4260 |
Antigua and Barbuda | 54.4000 | 99.5090 |
Mongolia | 54.1000 | 3378.0780 |
Greece | 53.9000 | 10316.6370 |
Trinidad and Tobago | 53 | 1406.5850 |
Bulgaria | 50.6000 | 6844.5970 |
Oman | 50 | 5323.9930 |
Hungary | 49.6000 | 9606.2590 |
Bahamas | 48.8000 | 400.5160 |
Barbados | 48 | 288.0230 |
Romania | 47.8000 | 19031.3350 |
Croatia | 47.5000 | 4059.2860 |
Panama | 47 | 4446.9640 |
Argentina | 46 | 46010.2340 |
Qatar | 45.4000 | 2979.9150 |
Latvia | 43.9000 | 1848.8370 |
Italy | 43.8000 | 60262.7700 |
Poland | 42.8000 | 37739.7850 |
Costa Rica | 42 | 5182.3540 |
Estonia | 40.8000 | 1321.9100 |
Spain | 40.7000 | 46719.1420 |
Slovakia | 40.5000 | 5460.1930 |
United Arab Emirates | 40.1000 | 10081.7850 |
Chile | 38.9000 | 19250.1950 |
Mauritius | 38.9000 | 1274.7270 |
Lithuania | 38.1000 | 2661.7080 |
United States | 38 | 334805.2690 |
Czech Republic | 37.6000 | 10736.7840 |
United Kingdom | 36.7000 | 68497.9070 |
Malta | 34.5000 | 444.0330 |
Japan | 34.3000 | 125584.8380 |
Uruguay | 34 | 3496.0160 |
South Korea | 33.7000 | 51329.8990 |
France | 32 | 65584.5180 |
Belgium | 28.6000 | 11668.2780 |
Singapore | 28.1000 | 5943.5460 |
Slovenia | 28 | 2078.0340 |
Portugal | 25.3000 | 10140.5700 |
Austria | 25 | 9066.7100 |
Netherlands | 24.8000 | 17211.4470 |
Germany | 24.7000 | 83883.5960 |
Ireland | 20.6000 | 5020.1990 |
Luxembourg | 20.4000 | 642.3710 |
Sweden | 20.3000 | 10218.9710 |
New Zealand | 20.1000 | 4898.2030 |
Canada | 20 | 38388.4190 |
Iceland | 19.8000 | 345.3930 |
Australia | 19.7000 | 26068.7920 |
Denmark | 19.5000 | 5834.9500 |
Switzerland | 18.7000 | 8773.6370 |
Norway | 18 | 5511.3700 |
Finland | 16.9000 | 5554.9600 |
Kuwait | 3.2000 | 4380.3260 |