Travel safety comparison · Middle East
Iraq vs Syria: safety comparison
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Side-by-side safety comparison of Iraq and Syria for 2026: risk scores, FCDO and US State Department advisories, drug law, women's safety, LGBTQ+ legal status, and the practical decision between the two.
Iraq sits a little lower on the Warnely composite score than Syria (81 against 90), but the gap is small enough that the practical difference comes down to category-by-category detail rather than the headline. The biggest single category gap is in crime, where Iraq scores 4/5 against Syria's 5/5.
| 🇮🇶Iraq | 🇸🇾Syria | |
|---|---|---|
| Warnely composite (0–100, lower is safer) | 81 / 100 | 90 / 100 |
| Risk tier | Do Not Travel | Do Not Travel |
| UK FCDO advisory | avoid all travel to whole country | avoid all travel to whole country |
| US State Department advisory | Level 4 (Do Not Travel) | Level 4 (Do Not Travel) |
| Global Peace Index rank | #147 | #157 |
| Drug law | Severe (long sentences) | Severe (long sentences) |
| Women's safety rating | Do Not Travel | Do Not Travel |
| LGBTQ+ legal status | illegal | illegal |
| Tap water | n/a | n/a |
| Currency | IQD | SYP |