Pakistan’s position in global peace rankings has dropped significantly, placing the country among the least peaceful nations in the world. According to the newly released Global Peace Index (GPI) 2026 report by the Institute for Economics and Peace, Pakistan has slid six places over the last year to rank 152nd out of 163 countries surveyed.
This drop marks the fourth largest decline in peace recorded globally within the index this year. Reports indicate that this is Pakistan’s lowest ranking since 2017, with the country’s overall score deteriorating by 5.5 percent.
The index evaluates nations based on 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators, revealing that while nine indicators within Pakistan showed minor improvements and six remained unchanged, eight experienced a notable deterioration.
The primary driver behind the decline was the “ongoing conflict” sector, which recorded a major 17 percent deterioration.
Conversely, the “safety and security” and “militarisation” sectors within the country managed to see modest improvements over the same period. Globally, Iceland retained its position at the top of the index as the world’s most peaceful country, followed closely by New Zealand and Switzerland.
The report highlights a broader, troubling international trend, noting that the average global level of peace and security declined by 0.7 per cent over the past year.
This marks the 12th consecutive year that global stability has worsened. The data shows a widespread contraction in safety, with 99 countries witnessing a decline in peace and security, whilst only 62 recorded any form of improvement.
