Knowledge Nugget: Why Global Peace Index 2025 is important for your UPSC exam

Why in the news?

Currently, there are 59 active state-based conflicts, the most since the end of WWII, and 1000 conflict-related deaths recorded in 17 countries in the last year, according to the 10th edition of the Global Peace Index (GPI) 2025 released by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). The report covers 163 countries, comprising 99.7 per cent of the world’s population.

The report states, there is a deterioration of global peacefulness by 0.36 per cent, marking the 13th deterioration in peacefulness in the last 17 years, with 74 countries improving and 87 deteriorating in peacefulness.

Key Takeaways:

1. Since 2007, the report has been published annually and provides a comprehensive data-driven analysis of trends in peace, its economic value, and ways to develop peaceful societies. There are 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators used to measure the state of peace across three domains: the level of Societal Safety and Security; the extent of Ongoing Domestic and International Conflict; and the degree of Militarisation.

2. The internationalisation of conflicts is becoming more common, leading to difficulty in reaching solutions. The geopolitical fragmentation, increasing major power competition, and the rise in influence of middle-level powers are the reasons noted by the report for increased internationalisation.

3. The report finds that only nine per cent of conflicts today result in a decisive military victory, and just four per cent end with negotiated settlements. Reflecting the broader shift toward ‘forever wars, ’ pointing to the failure of traditional resolution strategies. To de-escalate these conflicts, the report suggested the need for sustained investment in positive peace, which is correlated with higher GDP growth, lower interest rates, societal wellbeing, and more resilience to shocks.

4. With the average country score deteriorating by 5.4 per cent, the report noted that the world has become less peaceful over the past 17 years since its inception in 2008. 94 countries out of 163 recorded deterioration, while 66 recorded improvements and one recorded no change. Between 2008 and 2023, seventeen of the 23 GPI indicators have deteriorated.

5. The report points to the major shift in international affairs in the past years. According to the report, “Every nuclear-armed state has held or expanded its arsenal since 2022, and great-power rivalry is fuelling an arms race in advanced technologies, from AI-enabled drones to counter-space systems”. Recently, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) report, 2025, also highlighted that the nuclear arms race has once again intensifed, especially in Asia.

6. Iceland continues to lead and set global standards in maintaining its position as the world’s most peaceful country, a position it has held since 2008. Iceland is followed by Austria, New Zealand and Switzerland. Western and Central Asia are the most peaceful regions in the world.

About India

7. India ranks 115th globally with a GPI score of 2.229, a 0.58 per cent improvement in its level of peacefulness over the past year. This marks a gradual upward trajectory from its rankings of 116 in 2024, 126 in 2023, 139 in 2020, and 141 in 2019.

8. According to the report, “South Asia recorded the largest average deterioration of all the regions, with significant falls in peacefulness in both Bangladesh and Pakistan”. It is the second least peaceful region in the world. The least peaceful country in the region is Afghanistan.

Source: GPI, 2025

BEYOND THE NUGGET: Global Terrorism Index 2025

1. The Institute for Economics Peace, established in 2007 by Steve Killelea AM, publishes global reports that influence the “global narratives on matters of security, defence, terrorism and development.” These reports include the Global Peace Index, Global Terrorism Index, and Ecological Threat Report.

2. According to the Global Terrorism Index 2025, terrorism remains a persistent global threat. “The number of countries experiencing at least one terrorist incident increased from 58 to 66, the most countries affected since 2018.” Pakistan is among the countries where terrorist activities have increased since 2007.

(Source: Global Terrorism Index, 2025)

Post read question

Consider the following indices:

1. Human Development Index

2. Global Peace Index

3. Global Gender Gap Index

4. Global Terrorism Index

How many of the following indices are published by the Institute for Economics and Peace?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

(Source: Top 10 most peaceful countries in the world 2025: Where does India rank in comparison to Pakistan?, How India’s defence spending is aligned with its regional ambition, economicsandpeace.org)

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