Current Affairs

Global Peace Index 2026 – India 127th of 163 countries; Iceland most peaceful, Russia least

16-10-2026 · English

Global Peace Index 2026 – India 127th of 163 countries; Iceland most peaceful, Russia least

Topics: Indices & Reports · 16 October 2026 Current Affairs (UPSC / TNPSC / SSC / RRB)

News

The Sydney-headquartered Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) released the 20th Global Peace Index (GPI 2026) in June 2026, covering 163 countries and territories (99.7% of the world's population). India is 127th with a score of 2.409 – down 12 places from 115th in 2025. Iceland (1.161) remains the most peaceful country; Russia (163rd) is ranked least peaceful for the second year in a row. The USA is 134th. Global peacefulness has declined for the 12th year in a row.

Key facts

PublisherInstitute for Economics & Peace (IEP), Sydney; June 2026; 20th edition
Method3 domains, 23 indicators; lower score = more peaceful
India127/163 (score 2.409); 115th in 2025
Top 5Iceland, New Zealand, Switzerland, Slovenia, Ireland
Bottom 5Russia (163), Sudan (162), DR Congo (161), Ukraine (160), Israel (159)
NeighboursBhutan 16, Sri Lanka 67, Nepal 111, Bangladesh 117, China 118, Myanmar 151, Pakistan 152, Afghanistan 157

Background

  • The GPI's three domains: (1) Societal Safety & Security – crime, political instability, terrorism; (2) Ongoing Domestic & International Conflict; (3) Militarisation – military spending, arms imports and exports, etc. 23 indicators in all.
  • History: the GPI has been published every year since 2007; the IEP was founded by Australian entrepreneur Steve Killelea. Iceland has been first every year since 2008 – it has no standing army and low crime.
  • Reasons cited for India's fall: border tensions with neighbours, domestic incidents such as the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, higher militarisation and arms imports. In South Asia, Bhutan (16th) is the most peaceful, Sri Lanka (67th) second.

Tamil Nadu link: the GPI ranks only countries; there is no State-level data. A Tamil Nadu fact related to its 'militarisation' domain: one of India's two Defence Industrial Corridors announced in 2018 is in Tamil Nadu – with five nodes at Chennai, Hosur, Salem, Coimbatore and Tiruchirappalli (the other is in Uttar Pradesh).

Source: Vision of Humanity (IEP) GPI 2026 map; Drishti IAS (15 Jun 2026); WION; Spokesman-Review (AP, 11 Jun 2026); Outlook Traveller

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