Travel safety comparison · Middle East
Iraq vs Kuwait: safety comparison
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Iraq vs Kuwait: side-by-side safety comparison. Risk scores, FCDO + US State advisories, drug law, women's safety, LGBTQ+ status.
Kuwait carries a materially lower safety risk than Iraq on the composite Warnely score: 20/100 against 73/100, a gap of 53 points. The biggest single category gap is in crime, where Kuwait scores 1/5 against Iraq's 4/5. Women's-safety rating differs: Iraq is Do Not Travel and Kuwait is Exercise Caution.
| 🇮🇶Iraq | 🇰🇼Kuwait | |
|---|---|---|
| Warnely composite (0–100, lower is safer) | 73 / 100 | 20 / 100 |
| Risk tier | High Risk | Very Safe |
| UK FCDO advisory | No active advisory | No active advisory |
| US State Department advisory | Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) | Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) |
| Global Peace Index rank | #147 | #31 |
| Drug law | Severe (long sentences) | Severe (long sentences) |
| Women's safety rating | Do Not Travel | Exercise Caution |
| LGBTQ+ legal status | illegal | illegal |
| Tap water | n/a | n/a |
| Currency | IQD | KWD |
Iraq vs Kuwait: common questions
Is Iraq or Kuwait safer to visit?
Kuwait has the lower Warnely composite risk score: 20/100 vs 73/100 (lower is safer). Both scores factor in crime, terrorism, natural disasters, health, civil unrest, and infrastructure.
Is Iraq or Kuwait safer for solo female travellers?
Iraq is rated Do Not Travel for women's safety; Kuwait is rated Exercise Caution. Read the full guides for city-level detail.
What do FCDO and US State Department say about Iraq and Kuwait?
Iraq: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State). Kuwait: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State).