The six most dangerous places on earth if WW3 breaks out have been revealed.
Talk of World War III starting is escalating seemingly by the day, but which parts of the world would be the worst affected if it does?
Tensions across the globe have heightened drastically over the past few years, from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, to Iran’s crackdown on protests and Donald Trump’s threats to annex Greenland and military action abroad.
On top of all this, Iran has issued public assassination threats towards Trump if the United States attempts to intervene with the current situation in their country, which has left tens of thousands of protestors dead.
And now, the six most dangerous places to be if World War 3 does break out have been confirmed.
Europeans and Americans believe World War 3 is imminent
People around the world are pretty worried that a third World War is about to erupt at any moment, and understandably so.
According to recent data gathered by YouGov, between 41 percent and 55 percent of people across Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain believe another World War will break out in the next 5-10 years.
The same survey polled Americans, with 45 percent of US residents surveyed believing WWIII will happen within the next decade.
World War 3 would likely be deadliest conflict in history
Given that many of the countries likely involved in a third global conflict are armed with vast nuclear arsenals, World War 3 would most probably become the deadliest war the world has ever seen.
YouGov polling showed that between 68-76 percent of people across Europe and America expect World War 3 to involve nuclear weapons.
Of those polled, 57-73 percent believe any possible future world war would also be the most deadly in history.
Between 25-44 percent also expect a third world war to eradicate most of the earth’s population due to the use of nuclear warheads.
Europeans have little confidence in their militaries
The mood across Europe is extremely downbeat, with many people expressing dim views of their respective military’s capabilities.
YouGov’s survey revealed that the majority of people asked across Britain, France, Germany, Spain and Italy are not confident that their militaries could adequately defend them in the event of World War 3 erupting.
Only 16 percent of Italians believe their military could adequately defend them, while 44 percent of French people polled believe their armed forces are equipped for a major conflict.
However, on the flip side, Americans expressed much more confidence in their country’s military prowess, with 71 percent of people surveyed in the United States expecting their forces to be well prepared should WWIII break out.
Where do the biggest threats come from?
Roughly three quarters of people surveyed by YouGov see Russia as the biggest existential threat when it comes to a potential third world war.
Western Europeans and Americans were almost identically aligned on their views of Vladimir Putin.
However, many Europeans also see a Donald Trump-led America as a huge threat to world peace.
Trump’s recent threats towards Greenland, Canada, Panama, Mexico, and Colombia, as well as his actions related to Venezuela and relationships with the likes of Putin and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, have seen more than 50 percent of Spanish, French, and German residents express their belief that a breakdown in relations between America and Europe would also lead to World War III.
Where are the most dangerous locations to be if WW3 breaks out?
If the grim, tragic reality of a third world war does break out across the globe, a recent analysis from The Express has put together a map of the places you would want to avoid being located in should bombs begin to drop.
Given that America would be almost guaranteed to be heavily involved in a third world war, it goes without saying that living in one of the United States’ major cities would seriously heighten your chances of being in serious danger.
New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C. have all been named as the most obvious destinations in the US as potential targets for enemies to strike.
Less well-known but highly important and symbolic military locations such as Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico (home to one of the largest nuclear arsenals in the US) and Colorado Springs (where North American Aerospace Defense Command is located) would also be high on the list of any potential enemy targets.
Israel’s ongoing conflict with Palestine, as well as its attacks on other neighboring nations such as Lebanon, have received widespread condemnation across the globe in recent years and have also seen tensions across the Middle East continue to grow.
Iran’s recent missile attacks on Israel have only exacerbated the precarious nature of the region, too.
Naturally, given the present situation in Iran, where thousands of anti-government protestors are being murdered by the current regime, it is seen to be one of the most dangerous places on earth to find yourself in, even more so should World War 3 break out.
Iran recently sent bombs into Israel and has been in constant conflict with the United States, who have also dropped bombs in Iran after it was alleged that the Iranian regime was creating nuclear weapons.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ruled over Iran for more than 35 years and is now facing mass protests against his ruling of the country, leading to the killings of thousands of protestors.
Widely seen as the country who’s actions are most likely to trigger an all out global war, Russia is an extremely volatile location to find yourself in if the worst is to arise from the current tensions gripping the world.
Vladmir Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has seen scores of soldiers and civilians killed.
According to the British Ministry of Defence, over one million Russian soldiers have been killed or injured since 2022, per The Guardian.
The number of Ukrainian lives lost is reported to be north of 140,000, with 2025 believed to be the deadliest year of the conflict so far.
Taiwan has been in a perilous position for years, having been a disputed location under constant threat from Chinese invasion.
Chinese President Xi Jinping stated in 2021 that a ‘reunification’ between the two countries must happen.
China has conducted military drills around the island already this year, despite Taiwan expressing resolutely that it wishes to remain independent.
Should a war break out, China may sense the opportunity to launch a full scale invasion to complete Xi Jinping’s desired ‘reunification.’
North Korea’s longstanding alliance with Russia puts the dictatorship in a worrying position.
The North regularly likes to display its military capabilities by firing ballistic missiles into the seas around Korea and Japan, drawing sharp criticisms and warnings from its neighbors to the South and the Japanese.
North Korea has regularly provoked Western countries, primarily America, as well as South Korea and Japan, and would likely find itself a primary target in the midst of a world war, especially due to its longstanding alliance with Russia.
So if World War III were to break out, it might be sensible to rule out the USA, Israel, Iran, Russia, Taiwan, and North Korea from any future travel plans.
