Travel safety comparison · Asia

Afghanistan vs Pakistan: safety comparison

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Afghanistan vs Pakistan: side-by-side safety comparison. Risk scores, FCDO + US State advisories, drug law, women's safety, LGBTQ+ status.

· How Warnely scores risk →
Pakistan carries a materially lower safety risk than Afghanistan on the composite Warnely score: 66/100 against 89/100, a gap of 23 points. The biggest single category gap is in crime, where Pakistan scores 3/5 against Afghanistan's 5/5. The US State Department currently carries a Level 4 advisory on Afghanistan and a Level 3 on Pakistan. Women's-safety rating differs: Afghanistan is Do Not Travel and Pakistan is Generally Safe. Drug law diverges sharply: Afghanistan carries a tier-severe regime against Pakistan's more permissive framework.
🇦🇫Afghanistan 🇵🇰Pakistan
Warnely composite (0–100, lower is safer) 89 / 100 66 / 100
Risk tier Do Not Travel High Risk
UK FCDO advisory avoid all travel to whole country avoid all but essential travel to parts of country; avoid all travel to parts of country
US State Department advisory Level 4 (Do Not Travel) Level 3 (Reconsider Travel)
Global Peace Index rank #158 #144
Drug law Severe (long sentences) Death penalty possible
Women's safety rating Do Not Travel Generally Safe
LGBTQ+ legal status death illegal
Tap water n/a n/a
Currency AFN PKR
Full guide

Is Afghanistan safe to visit in 2026?
Full guide

Is Pakistan safe to visit in 2026?

Afghanistan vs Pakistan: common questions

Is Afghanistan or Pakistan safer to visit?

Pakistan has the lower Warnely composite risk score: 66/100 vs 89/100 (lower is safer). Both scores factor in crime, terrorism, natural disasters, health, civil unrest, and infrastructure.

Is Afghanistan or Pakistan safer for solo female travellers?

Afghanistan is rated Do Not Travel for women's safety; Pakistan is rated Generally Safe. Read the full guides for city-level detail.

What do FCDO and US State Department say about Afghanistan and Pakistan?

Afghanistan: avoid all travel to whole country (FCDO), Level 4 (Do Not Travel) (US State). Pakistan: avoid all but essential travel to parts of country; avoid all travel to parts of country (FCDO), Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) (US State).

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Planning the trip? Check Afghanistan visa requirements and Pakistan visa requirements.

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