About the Index
The Global Peace Index (GPI) is published annually by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), an independent think tank headquartered in Sydney, Australia, founded by Steve Killelea in 2007. The GPI is the world’s leading measure of global peacefulness, ranking 163 independent states and territories — covering 99.7% of the world’s population.
Methodology
The GPI measures peacefulness across three domains using 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators:
| Domain | Weight | Indicators Include |
|---|---|---|
| Ongoing Domestic & International Conflict | 40% | Internal conflicts, deaths from conflict, intensity of conflict |
| Societal Safety & Security | 40% | Homicide rate, incarceration rate, terrorism impact, political instability |
| Militarisation | 20% | Military expenditure (% GDP), armed forces per capita, weapons imports/exports |
Score range: 1 (most peaceful) to 5 (least peaceful).
India’s Performance
India ranks 115th out of 163 countries with a score of 2.229, showing a 0.58% improvement in peacefulness. India moved up from 116th (2024) and 126th (2023), reflecting a steady upward trend.
Domain-wise Performance
India performs poorly on the Societal Safety & Security domain due to high crime rates and political instability indicators, but scores relatively better on Militarisation given its defence spending as a proportion of GDP.
Historical Trend
| Year | Rank | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 135 | 2.530 |
| 2021 | 135 | 2.553 |
| 2022 | 135 | 2.570 |
| 2023 | 126 | 2.310 |
| 2024 | 116 | 2.242 |
| 2025 | 115 | 2.229 |
Regional / BRICS Comparison
| Country | GPI Rank (2025) | Score | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | ~80 | ~1.90 | Stable |
| Brazil | ~107 | ~2.10 | Slight decline |
| South Africa | ~118 | ~2.30 | Stable |
| India | 115 | 2.229 | Improving |
| Russia | ~158 | ~3.30 | Declining |
Key Highlights of Latest Edition
- Iceland retains its position as the most peaceful country in the world, a title it has held since 2008, followed by Ireland, New Zealand, and Austria
- Global peace declined by 0.36% in 2025, the largest single-year decline recorded, driven by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Israel-Palestine situation, and rising military spending
- The economic impact of violence on the global economy has reached unprecedented levels
- 74 countries improved their peacefulness scores, while 87 countries declined
- Over the past 17 years, there has been a cumulative 5.4% deterioration in global peace levels
- The growing peace inequality between the most and least peaceful countries is a key concern of the 2025 report
- The least peaceful countries include Russia, Ukraine, Sudan, DRC, Yemen, Afghanistan, Syria, South Sudan, Israel, and North Korea
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: GPI issuing body (IEP), India’s rank, most/least peaceful countries, three domains of measurement, number of indicators (23) Mains GS-2: India’s neighbourhood policy, conflict resolution mechanisms, role of international organisations in peacekeeping Mains GS-3: Internal security challenges — Left Wing Extremism, border disputes, terrorism impact on peace ranking Interview: “India has improved its GPI ranking from 126 to 115 in two years — what factors contributed, and what challenges remain for further improvement?”
