2027 Global Risk Map

This year's map layers five risk category callouts on top of the overall country ratings: Highest Risk Cities, Highest Arbitrary Detention Risk Countries, Highest Health Risk Countries, Highest Environmental Risk Countries, and Highest Data Exposure Risk Regions. A country can carry a moderate overall rating and still be flagged in one or more of these categories, so the type of risk is visible, not just its level.

The map also goes below the country level for the first time. A single country can now carry more than one rating, reflecting how risk actually varies within its borders rather than applying evenly nationwide.

• Highest Risk Cities: Extremely high rates of homicide and other violent crime, driven by conflict between organized criminal groups, quasi-state actors, and/or government forces.
• Highest Arbitrary Detention Risk Countries: Countries with a record of detaining foreign nationals without legitimate cause to create diplomatic leverage, often coinciding with a deterioration in diplomatic relations.
• Highest Health Risk Countries: Countries with prevalent or endemic contagious diseases, underdeveloped healthcare infrastructure, or challenges with evacuation.
• Highest Environmental Risk Countries: Countries with a high prevalence of extreme weather or seismic events combined with a limited capability to respond effectively.
• Highest Data Exposure Risk Regions: Regions with robust cyber capabilities, weak privacy protections, and a pattern of commercial espionage or intellectual property theft.

Businesses can use the 2027 Global Risk Map to identify vulnerabilities, guide resource allocation, and strengthen resilience. The map highlights country-specific risks, from crime and civil unrest to natural disasters and terrorism, while its new granular categories pinpoint exactly where risks like arbitrary detention or data exposure are most likely to affect personnel and operations. When combined with tabletop exercises and scenario planning, these tools help organizations move beyond reactive responses to proactively prepare for disruptions, protect assets, and ensure business continuity in a volatile global landscape.

Risk is the product of probability and impact. Just because the probability of an untoward event is low, it doesn’t mean that a high-impact event cannot occur. Natural disasters, opportunistic crime, and terror attacks can happen almost anywhere, any place, at any time. Proper precautions should always be undertaken ahead of travel.