The world's 25 most fragile states

The Fund for Peace has released its annual ranking of the world's least-stable countries, now known as the Fragile State Index. The rankings are based on 12 metrics, including access to public services, the prevalence of refugees and internally displaced people, human-rights conditions, and the legitimacy of the state.

Scandinavian countries round out the bottom of the ranking as the least fragile nations. Amazingly, Syria — which has entered its sixth year of civil war — isn't the most fragile state in the world, according to the survey.

Here are the countries Fund for Peace says are the most fragile in the world:

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25. LIBYA: The North African nation continues to suffer from infighting between two competing rival governments and a growing ISIS presence along the coast. Although the rival governments have been making positive moves toward reconciliation, the country is still bitterly divided and its oil exports are down to a fraction of what they were in 2013. Libya receives near bottom scores for state legitimacy, its security apparatus, and external intervention.

24. ETHIOPIA: Located in eastern Africa, Ethiopia has slightly worsened over the past year after a year of gradual improvement. It continues to have extreme demographic pressures, with nearly 64% of its population being under 25. It has the 33rd highest infant mortality rate in the world, and the country faces strong pressure from its own population of over 400,000 internally displaced people.

23. UGANDA: Uganda has worsened slightly over the past year, with pressures from refugees, internally displaced people, and group grievances being the main factors in the country's fragility. It also faces major demographic pressures — almost 70% of the population is under 25, and Uganda has the 21st worst infant-mortality rate in the world. Additionally, the country continues to face the vicious insurgency of Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army.