Global Peace Index (GPI) 2025

  • 07 Sep 2025

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The Global Peace Index (GPI) 2025, compiled by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), ranked Iceland as the world’s most peaceful country, a position it has held since 2008. Covering 163 independent states and territories that represent 99.7% of the global population, the index provides a comparative measure of peace across nations.

India’s Performance

  • Rank: 115th out of 163 countries.
  • Score: 2.229, reflecting a 0.58% improvement over the previous year.
  • Improvement Drivers: Gradual decline in domestic disputes and relative stability in societal security.
  • Persistent Challenges: High militarisation, cross-border tensions, and sporadic internal unrest continue to limit India’s peacefulness score.

Global Rankings

  • Top 10 Peaceful Nations (2025): Iceland, Ireland, New Zealand, Finland, Austria, Switzerland, Singapore, Portugal, Denmark, and Slovenia.
  • Least Peaceful Nations: Russia, Ukraine, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Yemen.
  • Regional Highlights:
    • Europe dominates the top 10 due to low crime, political stability, and strong institutions.
    • South America witnessed improvements, with Argentina and Peru making notable gains.
    • Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East remain the least peaceful, marred by civil wars, terrorism, and political instability.

Criteria of Assessment

The GPI ranks countries across 23 indicators grouped under three domains:

  1. Societal Safety and Security – crime rates, political stability, refugee impact.
  2. Ongoing Domestic and International Conflict – wars, terrorism, civil unrest.
  3. Militarisation – defence expenditure, arms imports/exports, armed personnel.

Global Peace Trends 2025

  • The global average peacefulness has declined, primarily due to growing internal conflicts, rising militarisation, and widening geopolitical divides.
  • While countries like Iceland scored consistently high due to low crime, absence of an army, and strong social trust, many regions faced setbacks with increased unrest and repression (e.g., Pakistan, Bangladesh, South Africa).