The Most and Least Fragile States

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The more fragile a state is, the more likely it is to collapse","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Christopher Osborne","@id":"https://www.worldatlas.com/contributor/christopher-osborne","sameAs":"https://www.worldatlas.com/contributor/christopher-osborne"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.worldatlas.com/","name":"WorldAtlas","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/worldatlas","https://twitter.com/worldatlas","https://www.pinterest.ca/worldatlas/","https://www.linkedin.com/company/world-atlas"],"logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://worldatlas.com/nwa_assets/img/site/wa_2_logo_text_primary_amp.png","height":60,"width":326,"caption":"WorldAtlas Logo"}},"hasPart":{"@type":"WebPageElement","value":"Each year, the Fund for Peace releases its Fragile States Index (FSI), which ranks nation-states all over the globe. The more fragile a state is, the more likely it is to collapse, while the least fragile states show stability and cohesion. Each state\u2019s fragility ranking is determined by a range of political, economic, demographic, geographic, and social factors. The most fragile states (starting with Somalia at #1) rank highest, while the least fragile states (ending with Norway at #179) occupy the bottom of the list. This article highlights the four most fragile and four least fragile states according to the 2023 Fragile States Index rankings.\r\n#1 (Most Fragile): Somalia\r\n\r\nView of Mogadishu, the Capital city of Somalia. Image credit MDart10 via Shutterstock.\r\n\r\nSomalia, located in the Horn of Africa, has a population of about 12.7 million and has been an independent nation since 1960. Unfortunately, Somalia has been in near constant turmoil over the past 30 years, and has been ranked the #1 or #2 most fragile state every year since 2008. With decades of ongoing civil war and factional violence, Somalia has a barely-functioning central government that lacks control over large areas of the nation\u2019s territory. The economy is in shambles, social services are largely nonexistent, and there are huge numbers of internal refugees seeking to escape violence. Sadly, Somalia is likely to be at or near the top of the FSI list for years to come.\u00a0\r\n#2: Yemen\r\n\r\nSana'a, Yemen. The Arab Spring or Democracy Spring. Image credit ymphotos via Shutterstock.\r\n\r\nSituated across the Gulf of Aden from the most fragile state, Somalia, Yemen is second on the FSI list because of an ongoing political crisis (starting about 2011) that has devolved into a destructive civil war. Positioned at the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, Yemen has some of the most fertile land in the Middle East, yet is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis with mass starvation. Regional powers Saudi Arabia and Iran support opposite sides in the Civil War, exacerbating the situation for everyday Yemenis. Yemen\u2019s economy has collapsed due to the civil war. If political stability can be restored, perhaps Yemen can rebound to its pre-2011 situation, when it ranked in the #15-#25 FSI range.\u00a0\r\n#3: South Sudan\r\n\r\nUnidentified woman with baby sits in displaced persons camp, Juba, South Sudan.Image credit Vlad Karavaev via Shutterstock.\r\n\r\nOne of the youngest widely-recognized states on earth, South Sudan declared its independence in 2011 after decades of conflict as part of Sudan in eastern Africa. Sadly, independence has not brought stability to South Sudan, which has undergone several political reorganizations, coups, and civil war during its 12 years of existence. South Sudan has one of the world\u2019s least developed economies, which exacerbates the multiple refugee crises that the nation faces. While it can be difficult to find positives in South Sudan\u2019s current situation, its population of 12 million is one of the youngest in the world, which opens the possibility of future economic growth if political stability can be established.\r\n#4: Democratic Republic of the Congo\r\n\r\nLukonga, Democratic Republic of Congo - UNICEF mission. Image credit Valeriya Anufriyeva via Shutterstock.\r\n\r\nThe Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), not to be confused with the neighboring Republic of the Congo, takes up a huge swath of central Africa: it is the second largest nation on the continent and the 11th largest on Earth. Formerly called Zaire, the DRC also has one of Africa\u2019s largest populations, at 112 million. Despite its size and population, however, the DRC has been among the top eight most fragile states in the FSI rankings every year since at least 2006. On the positive side, the DRC is rich in natural resources, but political instability and economic mismanagement have plagued the nation since its independence from Belgium in 1960.\r\nSelected States (#5-#175):\r\nEgypt (#50)\r\nRussia (#53)\r\nBrazil (#71)\r\nIndia (#73)\r\nChina (#101)\r\nUnited States (#141)\r\nUnited Kingdom (#148)\r\nJapan (#161)\r\nGermany (#166)\r\nCanada (#173)\r\n#176: New Zealand\r\n\r\nVisitors in Queenstown Mal - one of the most popular travel destination in New Zealand. Image credit ChameleonsEye via Shutterstock.\r\n\r\nNew Zealand, made up of two larger islands and over 700 smaller islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, is one of the most geographically isolated nations on Earth. With a population of just over 5 million, New Zealand has one of the lowest population densities on the planet as well. That said, New Zealand has ranked #169 or above in the FSI rankings every year since 2007, making it one of the most stable nations on Earth. New Zealand ranks particularly high in factors such as human rights, state legitimacy, external intervention, and public services. The nation\u2019s economy continues to grow and diversify, and it is likely that New Zealand will maintain a \u201cleast fragile\u201d status for years to come.\r\n#177: Finland\r\n\r\nAerial view of Finnish flag on the tower of Town Hall against the red sunrise sky in Joensuu, Finland.\r\n\r\nStarting with Finland, the three least fragile states on the FSI rankings are Nordic countries in northern Europe. While not technically part of Scandinavia, Finland shares many cultural similarities with its Scandinavian neighbors Sweden and Norway, the latter being the least fragile state according to FSI. Finland also borders Russia, causing the potential for instability, but otherwise the nation is a model for social stability and trust in government. The nation set aside its longstanding policy of neutrality in 2022-2023 to join NATO in the wake of Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine. Finland\u2019s 5.6 million residents enjoy a robust market economy and generous social services, making them some of the happiest citizens in the world.\u00a0\r\n#178: Iceland\r\n\r\nHistoric town of Husavik on the northern coast of Iceland.\r\n\r\nIceland is a Nordic nation along with Finland, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, but it is an island located in the North Atlantic between Europe and North America. Due to its isolation, Iceland\u2019s people engaged largely in agriculture and fishing until the 1950s, but the economy has rapidly modernized and grown in recent decades. Despite having one of the smallest populations among independent states (390,000), Iceland now boasts one of the highest standards of living among all nations, with exceptional rankings for safety, political stability, and citizen satisfaction. As befitting Iceland\u2019s political stability, its legislature, the Althing, has existed for over 1,000 years and is considered the oldest in the world.\r\n#179 (Least Fragile): Norway\r\n\r\nAurora borealis over Hamnoy in Norway.\u00a0\r\n\r\nWhile fellow Nordic nations Iceland and Finland make it a close competition, Norway earns the crown as the least fragile state on Earth according to the 2023 FSI rankings. A long, thin, mountainous nation along the western coast of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Norway shares a long border with Sweden and shorter borders with Finland and Russia. Like other Nordic countries, Norway enjoys a robust economy that provides generous social welfare benefits to its 5.5 million residents. Large offshore oil and natural gas deposits contribute greatly to Norway\u2019s economy, but it has continued to diversify and grow in recent years. It is very likely that Norway will be in the \u201cleast fragile\u201d competition for a long time to come.\r\nConclusion\r\nAccording to the 2023 FSI rankings, three of the four most fragile states are located in Sub-Saharan Africa, while three of the four least fragile states are Nordic nations in Europe. Factors like geography and history\u2014particularly histories of colonialism and resource exploitation\u2014obviously play a large role in state fragility. Unfortunately, most states in the \u201cmost fragile\u201d category seem likely to remain there for the foreseeable future, since there is relatively little change in the rankings year-to-year."},"isAccessibleForFree":"http://schema.org/True"}</script> <script type="text/javascript" async="async" data-noptimize="1" data-cfasync="false" src="//scripts.pubnation.com/tags/af7c1dab-ebf1-4768-8b49-e4fe264a4ad8.js"></script> <style> /* MV CSS to be added to site */ @media only screen and (min-width: 1024px) { .wa-stickyAsideParent #adStickyAside { position: static !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 359px) { .pagination_list { flex-wrap: wrap !important; } #content_body h2 { word-break: break-word !important; } } /* End MV CSS */ </style>  <script> var _paq = window._paq = window._paq || []; /* tracker methods like "setCustomDimension" should be called before "trackPageView" */ _paq.push(['trackPageView']); _paq.push(['enableLinkTracking']); (function() { var u="https://matomo.yourwriterportal.com/"; _paq.push(['setTrackerUrl', u+'matomo.php']); _paq.push(['setSiteId', '1']); var d=document, g=d.createElement('script'), s=d.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; g.async=true; g.src=u+'matomo.js'; s.parentNode.insertBefore(g,s); })(); </script>  </head> <body> <div id="wa_siteWrapper"> <div id="pageBody"> <article id="article_content" class="mod_content"> <figure class="article_featured_media content_media_fixed blog_featured_media "> <picture style="padding-top: 68%;" > <source media="(min-width: 1024px)" sizes="1300px" srcset="https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w1300/upload/07/f6/f1/shutterstock-1401775049-1.jpg 1300w"> <source media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)" sizes="1024px" srcset="https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w1024/upload/07/f6/f1/shutterstock-1401775049-1.jpg 1024w"> <source media="(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 767px)" sizes="768px" srcset="https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w768/upload/07/f6/f1/shutterstock-1401775049-1.jpg 768w"> <img id="featured_media" src="/upload/07/f6/f1/shutterstock-1401775049-1.jpg" alt="Many flags of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries. " fetchpriority="high" > </picture> </figure> <section id="content_body" class="content_body "> <header> <h1>The Most and Least Fragile States</h1> </header> <section> <p>Each year, the Fund for Peace releases its <a href="https://fragilestatesindex.org/">Fragile States Index</a> (FSI), which ranks nation-states all over the globe. The more fragile a state is, the more likely it is to collapse, while the least fragile states show stability and cohesion. Each state’s fragility ranking is determined by a range of political, economic, demographic, geographic, and social factors. The most fragile states (starting with Somalia at #1) rank highest, while the least fragile states (ending with Norway at #179) occupy the bottom of the list. This article highlights the four most fragile and four least fragile states according to the 2023 Fragile States Index rankings. </p> <h2>#1 (Most Fragile): Somalia </h2> <figure class=" content_media_fixed"><picture style="padding-top: 58.33%;"><source media="(min-width: 768px)" sizes="960w" srcset="https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w960-q80/upload/06/83/d3/shutterstock-1243617439.jpg 960w"></source><source media="(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 767px)" sizes="768w" srcset="https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w768-q80/upload/06/83/d3/shutterstock-1243617439.jpg 768w"></source><img loading="lazy" alt="View of Mogadishu, people at the Mogadishu beach, Mogadishu is the Capital city of Somalia" src="/r/w768/upload/06/83/d3/shutterstock-1243617439.jpg"></picture><figcaption>View of Mogadishu, the Capital city of Somalia. Image credit MDart10 via Shutterstock.</figcaption></figure> <p><a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/maps/somalia">Somalia</a>, located in the <a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/geography/horn-of-africa.html">Horn of Africa</a>, has a population of about 12.7 million and has been an independent nation since 1960. Unfortunately, Somalia has been in near constant turmoil over the past 30 years, and has been ranked the #1 or #2 most fragile state every year since 2008. With decades of ongoing civil war and factional violence, Somalia has a barely-functioning central government that lacks control over large areas of the nation’s territory. The economy is in shambles, social services are largely nonexistent, and there are huge numbers of internal refugees seeking to escape violence. Sadly, Somalia is likely to be at or near the top of the FSI list for years to come. </p> <h2>#2: Yemen </h2> <figure class=" content_media_fixed"><picture style="padding-top: 58.33%;"><source media="(min-width: 768px)" sizes="960w" srcset="https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w960-q80/upload/37/ae/da/shutterstock-1551000977.jpg 960w"></source><source media="(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 767px)" sizes="768w" srcset="https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w768-q80/upload/37/ae/da/shutterstock-1551000977.jpg 768w"></source><img loading="lazy" alt="Sana'a Yemen. The Arab Spring or Democracy Spring was a revolutionary wave of both violent and non-violent demonstrations, protests, riots, coups and civil wars in North Africa." src="/r/w768/upload/37/ae/da/shutterstock-1551000977.jpg"></picture><figcaption>Sana'a, Yemen. The Arab Spring or Democracy Spring. Image credit <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/mehmetyaman">ymphotos</a> via Shutterstock.</figcaption></figure> <p>Situated across the Gulf of Aden from the most fragile state, Somalia, <a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/maps/yemen">Yemen</a> is second on the FSI list because of an ongoing political crisis (starting about 2011) that has devolved into a destructive civil war. Positioned at the southern end of the <a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/peninsulas/arabian-peninsula.html">Arabian Peninsula</a>, Yemen has some of the most fertile land in the Middle East, yet is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis with mass starvation. Regional powers Saudi Arabia and Iran support opposite sides in the Civil War, exacerbating the situation for everyday Yemenis. Yemen’s economy has collapsed due to the civil war. If political stability can be restored, perhaps Yemen can rebound to its pre-2011 situation, when it ranked in the #15-#25 FSI range. </p> <h2>#3: South Sudan </h2> <figure class=" content_media_fixed"><picture style="padding-top: 58.33%;"><source media="(min-width: 768px)" sizes="960w" srcset="https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w960-q80/upload/1e/3e/fa/shutterstock-1303687768.jpg 960w"></source><source media="(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 767px)" sizes="768w" srcset="https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w768-q80/upload/1e/3e/fa/shutterstock-1303687768.jpg 768w"></source><img loading="lazy" alt="Unidentified woman with baby sits in makeshift hovel in displaced persons camp, Juba, South Sudan. Refugees stay in harsh conditions in camps of Juba., South Sudan" src="/r/w768/upload/1e/3e/fa/shutterstock-1303687768.jpg"></picture><figcaption>Unidentified woman with baby sits in displaced persons camp, Juba, South Sudan.Image credit Vlad Karavaev via Shutterstock.</figcaption></figure> <p>One of the youngest widely-recognized states on earth, <a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/maps/south-sudan">South Sudan</a> declared its independence in 2011 after decades of conflict as part of <a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/maps/sudan">Sudan</a> in eastern Africa. Sadly, independence has not brought stability to South Sudan, which has undergone several political reorganizations, coups, and civil war during its 12 years of existence. South Sudan has one of the world’s least developed economies, which exacerbates the multiple refugee crises that the nation faces. While it can be difficult to find positives in South Sudan’s current situation, its population of 12 million is one of the youngest in the world, which opens the possibility of future economic growth if political stability can be established. </p> <h2>#4: Democratic Republic of the Congo </h2> <figure class=" content_media_fixed"><picture style="padding-top: 58.33%;"><source media="(min-width: 768px)" sizes="960w" srcset="https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w960-q80/upload/08/9b/3e/shutterstock-292082852.jpg 960w"></source><source media="(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 767px)" sizes="768w" srcset="https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w768-q80/upload/08/9b/3e/shutterstock-292082852.jpg 768w"></source><img loading="lazy" alt="LUKONGA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO - CIRCA SEPTEMBER 2008. UNICEF mission against tetanus. Village children near their house" src="/r/w768/upload/08/9b/3e/shutterstock-292082852.jpg"></picture><figcaption>Lukonga, Democratic Republic of Congo - UNICEF mission. Image credit <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/vijstudio">Valeriya Anufriyeva</a> via Shutterstock.</figcaption></figure> <p>The <a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/maps/democratic-republic-of-the-congo">Democratic Republic of the Congo</a> (DRC), not to be confused with the neighboring <a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/maps/congo">Republic of the Congo</a>, takes up a huge swath of central Africa: it is the second largest nation on the continent and the 11th largest on Earth. Formerly called Zaire, the DRC also has one of Africa’s largest populations, at 112 million. Despite its size and population, however, the DRC has been among the top eight most fragile states in the FSI rankings every year since at least 2006. On the positive side, the DRC is rich in natural resources, but political instability and economic mismanagement have plagued the nation since its independence from Belgium in 1960. </p> <h2>Selected States (#5-#175): </h2> <p><a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/maps/egypt">Egypt</a> (#50) </p> <p><a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/maps/russia">Russia</a> (#53) </p> <p><a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/maps/brazil">Brazil</a> (#71) </p> <p><a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/maps/india">India</a> (#73) </p> <p><a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/maps/china">China</a> (#101) </p> <p><a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/maps/united-states">United States</a> (#141) </p> <p><a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/maps/united-kingdom">United Kingdom</a> (#148) </p> <p><a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/maps/japan">Japan</a> (#161) </p> <p><a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/maps/germany">Germany</a> (#166) </p> <p><a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/maps/canada">Canada</a> (#173) </p> <h2>#176: New Zealand </h2> <figure class=" content_media_fixed"><picture style="padding-top: 58.33%;"><source media="(min-width: 768px)" sizes="960w" srcset="https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w960-q80/upload/71/b9/a3/shutterstock-174738026.jpg 960w"></source><source media="(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 767px)" sizes="768w" srcset="https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w768-q80/upload/71/b9/a3/shutterstock-174738026.jpg 768w"></source><img loading="lazy" alt="Visitors in Queenstown Mal.It's one of the most popular travel destination in New Zealand known for it's restaurants, ski tourism and extreme sport adventure." src="/r/w768/upload/71/b9/a3/shutterstock-174738026.jpg"></picture><figcaption>Visitors in Queenstown Mal - one of the most popular travel destination in New Zealand. Image credit ChameleonsEye via Shutterstock.</figcaption></figure> <p><a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/maps/new-zealand">New Zealand</a>, made up of two larger islands and over 700 smaller islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, is one of the most geographically isolated nations on Earth. With a population of just over 5 million, New Zealand has one of the lowest population densities on the planet as well. That said, New Zealand has ranked #169 or above in the FSI rankings every year since 2007, making it one of the most stable nations on Earth. New Zealand ranks particularly high in factors such as human rights, state legitimacy, external intervention, and public services. The nation’s economy continues to grow and diversify, and it is likely that New Zealand will maintain a “least fragile” status for years to come. </p> <h2>#177: Finland </h2> <figure class=" content_media_fixed"><picture style="padding-top: 58.33%;"><source media="(min-width: 768px)" sizes="960w" srcset="https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w960-q80/upload/a6/44/16/shutterstock-1680187504.jpg 960w"></source><source media="(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 767px)" sizes="768w" srcset="https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w768-q80/upload/a6/44/16/shutterstock-1680187504.jpg 768w"></source><img loading="lazy" alt="Aerial view of Finnish flag on the tower of Town Hall against the red sunrise sky in Joensuu, Finland." src="/r/w768/upload/a6/44/16/shutterstock-1680187504.jpg"></picture><figcaption>Aerial view of Finnish flag on the tower of Town Hall against the red sunrise sky in Joensuu, Finland.</figcaption></figure> <p>Starting with <a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/maps/finland">Finland</a>, the three least fragile states on the FSI rankings are <a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/nordic-countries.html">Nordic countries</a> in northern Europe. While not technically part of <a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/scandinavian-countries.html">Scandinavia</a>, Finland shares many cultural similarities with its Scandinavian neighbors Sweden and Norway, the latter being the least fragile state according to FSI. Finland also borders Russia, causing the potential for instability, but otherwise the nation is a model for social stability and trust in government. The nation set aside its longstanding policy of neutrality in 2022-2023 to join <a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/nato-countries.html">NATO</a> in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Finland’s 5.6 million residents enjoy a robust market economy and generous social services, making them some of the happiest citizens in the world. </p> <h2>#178: Iceland </h2> <figure class=" content_media_fixed"><picture style="padding-top: 58.33%;"><source media="(min-width: 768px)" sizes="960w" srcset="https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w960-q80/upload/0b/d5/82/shutterstock-323907449.jpg 960w"></source><source media="(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 767px)" sizes="768w" srcset="https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w768-q80/upload/0b/d5/82/shutterstock-323907449.jpg 768w"></source><img loading="lazy" alt="Beautiful view of the historic town of Husavik with traditional colorful houses and traditional fisherman boats lying in the harbor in golden evening light at sunset, northern coast of Iceland" src="/r/w768/upload/0b/d5/82/shutterstock-323907449.jpg"></picture><figcaption>Historic town of Husavik on the northern coast of Iceland.</figcaption></figure> <p><a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/maps/iceland">Iceland</a> is a Nordic nation along with Finland, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, but it is an island located in the North Atlantic between Europe and North America. Due to its isolation, Iceland’s people engaged largely in agriculture and fishing until the 1950s, but the economy has rapidly modernized and grown in recent decades. Despite having one of the smallest populations among independent states (390,000), Iceland now boasts one of the highest standards of living among all nations, with exceptional rankings for safety, political stability, and citizen satisfaction. As befitting Iceland’s political stability, its legislature, the Althing, has existed for over 1,000 years and is considered the oldest in the world. </p> <h2>#179 (Least Fragile): Norway </h2> <figure class=" content_media_fixed"><picture style="padding-top: 58.33%;"><source media="(min-width: 768px)" sizes="960w" srcset="https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w960-q80/upload/74/47/22/shutterstock-1504345343.jpg 960w"></source><source media="(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 767px)" sizes="768w" srcset="https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w768-q80/upload/74/47/22/shutterstock-1504345343.jpg 768w"></source><img loading="lazy" alt="Aerial view of Aurora borealis over Hamnoy in Norway" src="/r/w768/upload/74/47/22/shutterstock-1504345343.jpg"></picture><figcaption>Aurora borealis over Hamnoy in Norway. </figcaption></figure> <p>While fellow Nordic nations Iceland and Finland make it a close competition, <a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/maps/norway">Norway</a> earns the crown as the least fragile state on Earth according to the 2023 FSI rankings. A long, thin, mountainous nation along the western coast of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Norway shares a long border with Sweden and shorter borders with Finland and Russia. Like other Nordic countries, Norway enjoys a robust economy that provides generous social welfare benefits to its 5.5 million residents. Large offshore oil and natural gas deposits contribute greatly to Norway’s economy, but it has continued to diversify and grow in recent years. It is very likely that Norway will be in the “least fragile” competition for a long time to come. </p> <h2><strong>Conclusion</strong> </h2> <p>According to the 2023 FSI rankings, three of the four most fragile states are located in <a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/regions/sub-saharan-africa.html">Sub-Saharan Africa</a>, while three of the four least fragile states are Nordic nations in Europe. Factors like geography and history—particularly histories of colonialism and resource exploitation—obviously play a large role in state fragility. Unfortunately, most states in the “most fragile” category seem likely to remain there for the foreseeable future, since there is relatively little change in the rankings year-to-year. </p> </section> <div class="article_credits_social"> <strong>Share</strong> <ul class="navSocial"> <li><button class="socialAction wa_badge_black icon-flipboard-icon" data-url="https://share.flipboard.com/bookmarklet/popout?v=2&title=The%20Most%20and%20Least%20Fragile%20States&url=https://www.worldatlas.com/politics/the-most-and-least-fragile-states.html" aria-label="Share on Flipboard"></a></li> <li><button class="socialAction wa_badge_black icon-facebook" data-url="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://www.worldatlas.com/politics/the-most-and-least-fragile-states.html" aria-label="Share on Facebook"></button></li> <li><button class="socialAction wa_badge_black icon-twitter" data-url="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.worldatlas.com%2Fpolitics%2Fthe-most-and-least-fragile-states.html&text=The%20Most%20and%20Least%20Fragile%20States&url=https://www.worldatlas.com/politics/the-most-and-least-fragile-states.html" aria-label="Share on Twitter"></button></li> <li><button class="socialAction wa_badge_black icon-pinterest" data-url="https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://www.worldatlas.com/politics/the-most-and-least-fragile-states.html" aria-label="Share on Pinterest"></button></li> <li><button class="socialAction wa_badge_black icon-linkedin" data-url="https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.worldatlas.com/politics/the-most-and-least-fragile-states.html&title=The%20Most%20and%20Least%20Fragile%20States&source=WorldAtlas" aria-label="Share on LinkedIn"></button></li> </ul> </div> <div class="article_byline"> <span><a href="/contributor/christopher-osborne" class="content_contributor">Christopher Osborne</span></a> August 5 2023 in <a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/politics/">Politics</a></span> </div> </section> <section class="article_after_content no-left-right-margin"> <h2>More in <a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/politics/">Politics</a></h2> <div class="mod_grid_list grid_read_stack"> <article class="grid_item mod_bclip bclip_full_16x9" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/WebPage"> <div class="bclip_container"> <a href="/politics/communist-china-vs-the-falun-gong.html" itemprop="relatedLink"> <figure class="bclip_media_box" itemprop="image" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/ImageObject"> <picture> <source media="(min-width: 768px)" sizes="400px" srcset="https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w400-h225-q40/upload/73/b7/e3/falun-gong-practitioners-perform-a-dragon-dance-on-o-connell-street-to-celebrate-the-lunar-new-year-image-by-liammurphypics-shutterstock.jpg 400w"> <source media="(min-width: 575px) and (max-width: 767px)" sizes="575px" srcset="https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w575-h323-q40/upload/73/b7/e3/falun-gong-practitioners-perform-a-dragon-dance-on-o-connell-street-to-celebrate-the-lunar-new-year-image-by-liammurphypics-shutterstock.jpg 575w"> <source media="(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 574px)" sizes="425px" srcset="https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w425-h239-q40/upload/73/b7/e3/falun-gong-practitioners-perform-a-dragon-dance-on-o-connell-street-to-celebrate-the-lunar-new-year-image-by-liammurphypics-shutterstock.jpg 425w"> <img class="bclip_media" src="/r/w1200/upload/73/b7/e3/falun-gong-practitioners-perform-a-dragon-dance-on-o-connell-street-to-celebrate-the-lunar-new-year-image-by-liammurphypics-shutterstock.jpg" alt="Falun Gong practitioners perform a dragon dance on O'Connell Street to celebrate the Lunar New Year. 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