Country safety profile
Is Timor-Leste safe to visit?
This briefing uses the latest Global Peace Index country data as a broad signal, not a substitute for current government advisories. Use it to understand the overall climate before you layer in local events, route decisions, and seasonal context.
Regional context
How Timor-Leste fits within Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is one of the most flexible regions for independent travel, but safety planning is still very route-specific. Tourism corridors can feel easy while night buses, ferry links, remote islands, or politically sensitive provinces require a different standard of judgment.
Backpacker routes, domestic flights, islands, scooters, and cross-border hops all sit close together here. The region rewards flexibility, but it also punishes casual assumptions about transport quality, weather, and local enforcement.
Timor-Leste's overall score is lower than the Southeast Asia average of 1.91, which points to a calmer broad backdrop than many nearby itineraries. Timor-Leste lands around the middle of the current regional comparison.
No single GPI domain overwhelms Timor-Leste's profile, so the smarter approach is to plan by neighborhood, route, season, and live local developments instead of treating the whole country as uniformly risky.
Regional snapshot
- Region
- Southeast Asia
- Macro area
- Asia
- Regional average
- 1.91 / 5
- Regional position
- #4 of 10
- Standing
- Near the regional midpoint
Planning cues for Southeast Asia
- Do not assume a smooth tourist corridor extends to remote islands or inland provinces.
- Be selective with overnight transport, scooter use, and ferry timing.
- Build extra margin during monsoon periods and major holiday movement.
Overall Indicator
A composite index measuring the peacefulness of countries made up of 23 quantitative and qualitative indicators each weighted on a scale of 1-5. The lower the score the more peaceful the country.
Domestic & International Conflict
Safety & Security
Militarisation
Indicator breakdown
Tap a row for the source description+-Perceptions of CriminalityLevel of perceived criminality in society
2.388/ 5
Level of perceived criminality in society
Level of perceived criminality in society. Source: Gallup World Poll, IEP estimates
+-Police RateNumber of internal security officers and police per 100,000 people
2.451/ 5
Number of internal security officers and police per 100,000 people
Number of internal security officers and police per 100,000 people. Source: UNODC CTS
+-Homicide RateNumber of homicides per 100,000 people
2.385/ 5
Number of homicides per 100,000 people
Number of homicides per 100,000 people. Source: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Surveys on Crime Trends and the Operations of Criminal Justice Systems (CTS); EIU estimates
+-Incarceration RateNumber of jailed population per 100,000 people
1.437/ 5
Number of jailed population per 100,000 people
Number of jailed population per 100,000 people. Source: World Prison Brief, Institute for Criminal Policy Research at Birkbeck, University of London
+-Access to Small ArmsEase of access to small arms and light weapons
3/ 5
Ease of access to small arms and light weapons
Qualitative assessment of ease of access to small arms and light weapons by EIU analysts. Source: Economist Intelligence Unit
+-Intensity of Internal ConflictLevel of organised conflict (internal)
2/ 5
Level of organised conflict (internal)
Qualitative assessments of the intensity of organised internal conflict by EIU analysts. Source: Economist Intelligence Unit
+-Violent DemonstrationsLikelihood of violent demonstrations
1/ 5
Likelihood of violent demonstrations
Violent demonstrations. Source: Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED); IEP
+-Violent CrimeLevel of violent crime
4/ 5
Level of violent crime
Qualitative assessment of level of violent crime by EIU analysts. Source: Economist Intelligence Unit
+-Political InstabilityPolitical instability
3/ 5
Political instability
Qualitative assessment of political instability by EIU analysts. Source: Economist Intelligence Unit
+-Political Terror ScalePolitical Terror Scale
2/ 5
Political Terror Scale
Political Terror Scale. Source: Gibney, Mark, Linda Cornett, Reed Wood, Peter Haschke, Daniel Arnon, and Attilio Pisanò. 2021. The Political Terror Scale 1976-2019. Date Retrieved, from the Political Terror Scale website: http://www.politicalterrorscale.org.
+-Weapons ImportsImports of major conventional weapons per 100,000 people
1/ 5
Imports of major conventional weapons per 100,000 people
Volume of transfers of major conventional weapons as recipient (imports) per 100,000 people. Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Arms Transfers Database
+-Terrorism ImpactTerrorist Activity
1/ 5
Terrorist Activity
Calculation based on a weighted average of the last five years of the number of incidents, injuries, hostages and fatalities by terrorism. Source: Global Terrorism Index (GTI), IEP
+-Deaths from Internal ConflictNumber of deaths from organised conflict (internal)
1/ 5
Number of deaths from organised conflict (internal)
Number of deaths from internal organised conflict. Source: UCDP Georeferenced Event Dataset
+-Military Expenditure (% GDP)Military expenditure as a percentage of GDP
2.114/ 5
Military expenditure as a percentage of GDP
Military expenditure as a percentage of GDP. Source: The Military Balance, IISS, EIU estimates
+-Armed Services Personnel RateNumber of armed services personnel per 100,000 people
1.244/ 5
Number of armed services personnel per 100,000 people
Number of armed services personnel per 100,000 people. Source: The Military Balance, IISS
+-UN Peacekeeping FundingFunding for UN peacekeeping missions
1.461/ 5
Funding for UN peacekeeping missions
Financial contribution to UN peacekeeping missions. Source: United Nations Committee on Contributions; IEP
+-Nuclear and Heavy WeaponsAggregate weighted number of heavy weapons per 100,000 people
1/ 5
Aggregate weighted number of heavy weapons per 100,000 people
Nuclear and heavy weapons capabilities. Source: Military Balance+, IISS; IEP
+-Weapons ExportsExports of major conventional weapons per 100,000 people
1/ 5
Exports of major conventional weapons per 100,000 people
Volume of transfers of major conventional weapons as supplier (exports) per 100,000 people. Source: SIPRI Arms Transfers Database
+-Refugees and IDPsNumber of displaced people as a percentage of the population
1/ 5
Number of displaced people as a percentage of the population
Number of refugees and internally displaced people as a percentage of the population. Source: Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Mid-Year Trends; Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC)
+-Neighbouring Countries RelationsRelations with neighbouring countries
2/ 5
Relations with neighbouring countries
Qualitative assessment of relations with neighbouring countries by EIU analysts. Source: Economist Intelligence Unit
+-Deaths from External ConflictEstimated number of deaths from organised conflict (external)
1/ 5
Estimated number of deaths from organised conflict (external)
Number of deaths from external organised conflict. Source: UCDP Georeferenced Event Dataset
+-External Conflicts FoughtNumber, duration and role of external conflicts fought
1/ 5
Number, duration and role of external conflicts fought
Number, duration and role in external conflicts. Source: UCDP Battle-Related Deaths Dataset; IEP
+-Internal Conflicts FoughtNumber and duration of internal conflicts
1/ 5
Number and duration of internal conflicts
Number and duration of internal conflicts. Source: Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP) Battle-Related Deaths Dataset, Non-State Conflict Dataset and One-sided Violence Dataset; Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP)