The Global Peace Index 2025 shows a decline in global peacefulness. Iceland remains the most peaceful country for the 18th consecutive year while India is ranked 115th. Although India has improved slightly from previous years, it still faces substantial internal challenges.
Key Highlights of Global Peace Index 2025
- The index, compiled by the Institute for Economics & Peace analyzed 163 countries that cover 99.7% of the world’s population. It used 23 indicators, such as militarization, internal conflicts, homicide and terrorism
- This year marked a historical low in global peace levels. Conditions before major conflicts were the worst since World War II.
- The number of state-based conflicts reached its highest point since the end of World War II. There were 59 active conflicts and 152,000 conflict-related deaths reported in 2024.
- Seventy-eight countries are involved in internationalized conflicts. This marks a shift toward greater fragmentation and competition among major powers.
- The global economic impact of violence increased to $19.97 trillion, which is nearly 12% of global GDP.
- Iceland, Ireland, and New Zealand are the top three most peaceful countries. In contrast, Russia, Ukraine, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Yemen are the least peaceful.
India’s Position and Regional Analysis
- India is ranked 115th in 2025 a stagnant postion from 115th also in 2024. It is a significant step up from 139th in 2020 and 141st in 2019.
- India’s GPI score in 2025 is 2.229 reflecting a 0.58% improvement in peacefulness over the year.
- India performs better than several South Asian neighbors including Bangladesh (123rd), Pakistan (144th) and Afghanistan (158th).
Factors Affecting India’s Rank
- India shows positive movement in nine indicators. However, it stagnated in nine and deteriorated in three, highlighting a mixed record on peacefulness.
- Ongoing challenges include regional disputes, urban crime, internal political tensions, and terrorism.
- Despite these issues, India’s cultural diversity and robust governance structures offer potential for future improvements in rankings.
- Regional Contex
- South Asia is the second least peaceful region in the world. Singapore is the only country in the top 10 globally ranked 6th. Most of the region continues to experience conflict and instability.
- The gap between the most and least peaceful countries has widened. Peace inequality has risen by almost 12% over the past two decades. visit here
The 2025 Global Peace Index highlights a world in deep fragmentation. This is shaped by rising conflicts, economic distress caused by violence and growing geopolitical tensions. India’s rank of 115 shows slow but steady improvement. However challenges such as regional disputes and social tensions require ongoing attention. for More Index news link yourself here
