Iceland once again leads the “Global Peace Index,” solidifying its position as the world’s most tranquil nation, with Greece experiencing a slight drop in its ranking.
The 2025 report from the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) paints a sobering picture of declining global peace, as it assessed 163 independent states and territories. Employing 23 comprehensive indicators, the report measures three crucial domains: the level of societal safety and security, the extent of ongoing domestic and international conflicts, and the degree of militarization.
Six consecutive years of deteriorating peace
The 2025 report reveals a stark reality: global peace continues its downward trend for the sixth consecutive year, with an average deterioration of approximately 0.36 percent. While 74 countries showed improvement, a larger number (87) experienced a decline in their rankings from the previous year.
Alarmingly, the report highlights that there are currently 59 active conflicts between countries, marking the highest number since the end of World War II and an increase of three from last year.
The IEP emphasizes that”
“The level of global peace continues to decline, and that many of the main factors that precede major conflicts are higher than they have been since the end of World War II. More and more countries are increasing their levels of militarization in the context of rising geopolitical tensions, increasing conflicts, the breakdown of traditional alliances, and growing economic uncertainty.”
The top performers in the Global Peace Index and Greece’s position
The top ten most peaceful countries largely maintained their positions in 2025:
- Iceland
- Ireland
- New Zealand
- Austria
- Switzerland
- Singapore
- Portugal
- Denmark
- Slovenia
- Finland
A notable shift in the top tier was Canada, which fell out of the top ten to 14th place, now shared with the Netherlands.
Greece is ranked 45th globally, a decrease of three positions from its standing last year. Neighboring Cyprus is positioned at 68th.
Global disparities and key deteriorations
The report further illustrates significant global disparities in peace as indicated below.
The United States ranked 128th, placing it below countries like Bangladesh, South Africa, Honduras, Togo, and Kenya but above Ecuador, Brazil, and Libya. The US ranked particularly low in the “militarization domain.”
Israel ranked 155th, just above South Sudan, Syria, and Afghanistan, also performing poorly in the “militarization domain.”
Russia and Ukraine ranked last in the “ongoing conflict domain,” reflecting the severe impact of their ongoing war. In fact, Russia emerged as the least peaceful country in the world based on the index’s overall measure of peacefulness.
Afghanistan, Yemen, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Sudan ranked last in the “security and safety domain,” indicating severe internal instability.
Palestinian territory ranked 145th, above Turkey, Iraq, and Nigeria but below Colombia, Haiti, Iran, Niger, and Pakistan.
This comprehensive report underscores a turbulent global landscape, with a persistent decline in peace, driven by escalating conflicts and increased militarization.
See the full report here.
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