The Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) has released its annual Global Peace Index (GPI) for 2026. Ukraine, which has been repelling full-scale Russian military aggression for over four years, is ranked 162nd out of 163 countries and territories. However, despite its low position due to the ongoing war, analysts highlighted a strong positive dynamic: Ukraine has emerged as one of the top five countries globally showing the largest annual improvement in its peace score.
The 2026 study covered 163 independent states and territories, accounting for 99.7% of the world’s population. The index assesses global peacefulness based on 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators across three main domains: Societal Safety and Security, Ongoing Domestic and International Conflict, and Militarisation.
While the brutal consequences of the invasion keep Ukraine near the bottom of the list, the country demonstrated a remarkable country-level recovery in specific internal safety dimensions compared to previous years.
Meanwhile, Russia has dropped to the absolute bottom of the index, ranking 163rd for the first time and officially becoming the least peaceful country in the world.
Iceland continues its reign as the world’s safest country, a title it has held for 19 consecutive years. It is followed by New Zealand and Switzerland in the top three. Western and Central Europe remain the most peaceful regions globally. Notably, Ukraine’s neighbor Poland made a massive leap, climbing 23 spots to secure 22nd place globally.
The IEP authors noted that global peacefulness deteriorated by 0.7% over the past year, marking the most unstable international environment since the index’s inception in 2007. A total of 99 countries experienced a decline in peacefulness, driven primarily by the proliferation of regional conflicts and the intensification of militarization worldwide.
