OUT of 177 countries Sudan is most at risk of failure, according to the annual failed-states index produced by Foreign Policy magazine and the Fund for Peace, a research organisation. Each country is given a score up to ten for a dozen political, military, social and economic indicators. These include demographic pressures, refugee numbers, economic growth, external intervention and the legitimacy of its government. The more unstable a country, the higher its total score. Sudan, surprisingly, pips both Iraq and Somalia as the state most at risk of failing. The situation in Darfur means it scores worse on indicators such as human rights, displaced people and the legitimacy of the state. Zimbabwe owes its ranking of fourth to an appalling economy, with annual inflation at 4,500%, and its disappearing population.