Global Peace Index 2025 rankings list: Amid rising geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty, the average level of global peacefulness has deteriorated by 0.36 per cent, according to the Global Peace Index (GPI) 2025 released by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). The findings show a concerning global trend: the world is becoming less peaceful, with increased instability driven by factors that often precede major conflicts. The report states that deterioration in peacefulness is now at its highest level since the end of World War II. Over the past 17 years, the average country score has declined by 5.4 per cent, marking a steady drop in global peace since 2008. However, there is a silver lining – 74 countries showed an improvement in their peacefulness this year. Iceland continues to lead and set global standards in maintaining its position as the world’s most peaceful country, a position it has held since 2008. Conversely, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) remains the world’s least peaceful region for the tenth consecutive year, with four of the ten lowest-ranked countries on the 2025 GPI. As a result, the gap between the most and least peaceful countries widened, with the "peace inequality" rising by 11.7 per cent over the past two decades. Global Peace Index 2025: Top 10 most peaceful countries in the world GPI Rank 2025 Country Region GPI Score 2025 1 Iceland Europe 1.095 2 Ireland Europe 1.260 3 New Zealand Oceania 1.282 4 Austria Europe 1.294 5 Switzerland Europe 1.294 6 Singapore Asia 1.357 7 Portugal Europe 1.371 8 Denmark Europe 1.393 9 Slovenia Europe 1.409 10 Finland Europe 1.420 Source: Global Peace Index (GPI) 2025 - Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) Global Peace Index 2025: Top 10 least peaceful countries in the world GPI Rank 2025 Country Region GPI Score 2025 163 Russia Europe/Asia (Eurasia) 3.441 162 Ukraine Europe 3.434 161 Sudan Africa 3.323 160 Democratic Republic of the Congo Africa 3.292 159 Yemen Middle East 3.262 158 Afghanistan Asia 3.229 157 Syria Middle East 3.184 156 South Sudan Africa 3.117 155 Israel Middle East 3.108 154 Mali Africa 3.061 Source: Global Peace Index (GPI) 2025 - Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) Where does India rank on the Global Peace Index 2025? India ranks 115th globally with a GPI score of 2.229, a 0.58 per cent improvement in its level of peacefulness over the past year. This marks a gradual upward trajectory from its rankings of 116 in 2024, 126 in 2023, 139 in 2020, and 141 in 2019. Despite being situated in South Asia – the second least peaceful region – India has shown improvements in nine indicators, while nine other indicators remained unchanged and three worsened. India ranks higher than Bangladesh at #123, Pakistan at #144, and Afghanistan at #158. Amid the Russia-Ukraine crisis, where do the two countries stand on GPI 2025? The ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia since 2022 has resulted in a significant decline in peacefulness in both countries. In a notable first time ever, Russia dropped down two ranks and stands at #163, making it the least peaceful country in the world on the 2025 GPI, followed by Ukraine at #162 as the second least peaceful country in the world. According to the report, the two countries are expected to continue being among the least peaceful in the world for the foreseeable future, as there appears to be no immediate resolution to the conflict in sight. Methodology: The Institute of Economics and Peace's Global Peace Index (GPI) ranks 163 autonomous countries and territories based on their level of peacefulness to date through 23 qualitative and quantitative variables across three domains: societal safety and security, the scope of ongoing domestic and international conflict, and the degree of militarisation. Stay updated with the latest - Click here to read more Top 10 exclusive reports!
