The state of global peace in 2026 is pretty grim, according to an annual report. And according to your own eyes if you’ve followed the news lately.
Each year, the Institute for Economics and Peace releases its Global Peace Index, a ranking of 163 countries based on 23 indicators designed to measure each nation’s “level of societal safety and security, the extent of ongoing domestic and international conflict, and the degree of militarization.”
For travelers, the index supplies a big-picture assessment of a country’s “overall stability,” the institute’s founder and executive chairman, Steve Killelea, told TravelPulse. He encourages anybody considering an international trip to pair the index’s info with “official government travel advice and destination-specific research for the practical, on-the-ground questions.”
And how does the world’s overall stability look these days?
Not great.
In fact, “global peace is at its lowest level since the inception” of the Global Peace Index in 2007, according to this year’s analysis, with 103 countries engaged in external conflicts—nearly twice the tally of 59 nations in 2008.
The militarization required to wage those conflicts, along with the economic fallout and other factors, has resulted in a “deterioration in peacefulness” for 99 countries on the ranking compared with 2025. That’s the most nations ever to become less peaceful in one year, the report points out.
The most peaceful countries in the world in 2026
For the 19th year in a row, the Global Peace Index ranks Iceland as the world’s safest and most secure nation.
“Iceland’s exceptional position is underpinned by the absence of a standing military, very low crime rates, and strong social cohesion,” the report states. “It is the most peaceful country in the world by a significant margin.”
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Comprehensive and completely up-to-date, Frommer’s Iceland takes you from world-famous waterfalls to hopping nightclubs and everywhere in between. Frommer’s expert Katie Featherstone, is an Iceland specialist, knows every inch of the country and is not afraid to tell the truth. With her reliable, st…
As in previous years, Europe fared better than any other region on the globe, securing seven slots in the top 10. That doesn’t include second place, however, which went to New Zealand.
The most improved score year-over-year was earned by Poland, which leaped up 23 places to the 22nd spot overall. The “improvement reflects the political transition that followed the change of government in late 2023,” the report explains, “as the new government restored judicial independence, unblocked EU funding, and reengaged with European institutions.”
Here are the top 10 most peaceful countries, according to the 2026 Global Peace Index:
- Iceland
- New Zealand
- Switzerland
- Slovenia
- Ireland
- Austria
- Portugal
- Singapore
- Finland
- Japan
The world’s least peaceful countries in 2026
As you’d expect, the nations experiencing especially violent internal and external conflicts along with other serious challenges dominate the opposite end of the ranking.
Here are the five least peaceful countries in 2026, according to the Global Peace Index:
- Russia
- Sudan
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Ukraine
- Israel
Nepal suffered the worst deterioration in stability, the report found, as a result of the large-scale, Gen Z–led demonstrations that took place across the country in September 2025.
The United States also declined in peacefulness, per the report, due to a spike in political instability. The U.S. now ranks a dismal 134 out of 163 countries.
To see the complete ranking for 2026, as well as an in-depth analysis, interactive map, and reports from previous years, go to VisionofHumanity.org.
