Mesmerizing maps reveal which cities around the world are most likely to fall apart

Much of the world is making great leaps in technology, security, and public health. But some cities are getting left behind.

In these distressed urban areas, unemployment rates are high, equality is low, health care and safety are poor, and people fear for their lives on a daily basis, wondering if the government will ever step in to help.

Robbert Muggah, global security expert and research director at the think tank Igarapé Institute, has found 11 such factors that collectively make a city vulnerable to societal or economic collapse. Muggah calls this "fragility."

Using data from United Nations University, theWorld Economic Forum, and SecDev, Muggah has created a dynamic picture of where the most fragile cities are located. Small, blue dots represent stable cities. Large red ones are the most fragile.

Here are the cities around the world that are most likely to fall apart.