Global Peace Index 2026: Iceland Tops, India 127th
Why in the news
The Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) published the 2026 Global Peace Index. India fell twelve places, while Iceland kept its long-running lead.
Key facts
- Edition: 20th GPI, released June 2026 by the IEP.
- Coverage: 163 independent states and territories, 99.7% of world population; 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators.
- Top: Iceland, score 1.161, most peaceful for the 19th consecutive year (No.1 since 2008).
- Bottom: Russia at 163rd, score 3.367.
- India: 127th, score 2.409, versus 115th in 2025; overall score worse by 2.9%.
- Lower score means a more peaceful country.
Top and bottom five
| Most peaceful | Score | Least peaceful | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Iceland | 1.161 | Russia | 163 |
| 2. New Zealand | 1.343 | Sudan | 162 |
| 3. Switzerland | 1.363 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 161 |
| 4. Slovenia | 1.369 | Ukraine | 160 |
| 5. Ireland | 1.371 | Israel | 159 |
Three domains measured
- Societal Safety and Security: violent crime, political instability, terrorism, internal conflict.
- Ongoing Domestic and International Conflict: wars, armed conflicts, conflict deaths.
- Militarisation: military spending, armed forces personnel, weapons imports.
Concerns: why India’s rank fell
- Border tensions with neighbours and cross-border conflicts.
- Greater militarisation and higher weapons imports.
- Domestic terror incidents, including the Pahalgam attack of April 2025.
Why Iceland scores high
- No standing army, very low violent crime and strong rule of law.
- Effective political institutions and geographic isolation.
- NATO membership, giving security without a standing army, and a high HDI.
About the GPI and the IEP
- GPI is an annual ranking of peacefulness, first published in 2007.
- IEP is an international think tank founded in 2007 by Australian philanthropist Steve Killelea, headquartered in Sydney with offices in New York, The Hague, Mexico City, Brussels, Nairobi and Harare.
- Other IEP reports: Global Terrorism Index, Mexico Peace Index, Ecological Threat Report, Positive Peace Index.
Exam angle
- Publisher: IEP (Sydney); founder Steve Killelea.
- Rank list: Iceland first; India 127th (from 115th); Russia last.
- Scoring rule: a lower score signals greater peace.