Full List Of 10 Most Peaceful Countries In the World

• The 2026 Global Peace Index has ranked Iceland as the most peaceful country on Earth
• According to the record, global peace has deteriorated to its lowest level since the GPI's inception
• GPI said 119 countries are now less peaceful compared to when it was first published in 2007

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Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 8 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues

The Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), Global Peace Index (GPI), has released a list of the 10 most peaceful countries in the world in the year 2026.

The ranking is calculated using 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from highly respected sources.

The GPI is the world’s leading measure of global peacefulness and covers 99.7% of the world’s population.

According to GPI, it measures the state of peace across three domains:

• The level of Societal Safety and Security,
• The extent of Ongoing Domestic and International Conflict,
• The degree of Militarisation.

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The 10 most peaceful countries in the world

• Iceland
• New Zealand
• Switzerland
• Slovenia
• Ireland
• Austria
• Portugal
• Singapore
• Finland
• Japan

This is conatined in a post shared via its X handle @GlobalPeaceIndex on Tuesday, June 9, 2026.

According to the report published on its website, the 2026 GPI revealed a world struggling with the economic consequences of a record-high number of conflicts.

These conflicts are increasingly interconnected and difficult to resolve.

It is driven by a profound geopolitical shift, characterised by the rising influence of middle powers and the waning strength of traditional European powers known as the “Great Fragmentation.”

This is also accompanied by a rapid technological revolution in warfare that is leaving international law and diplomacy far behind.

Key findings:

• Global peace is at its lowest level since the inception of the Index, while the conditions that precede conflict are the worst since WWII

• 99 countries witnessed a deterioration in peacefulness in the past year, the highest number since the inception of the Index 20 years ago.

• 119 countries, 73%, are now less peaceful than when the GPI was first published in 2007.

• The number of countries engaged in external conflict has nearly doubled from 59 in 2008 to 103 in the 2026 GPI.

Most peaceful countries in Africa in 2025

Recall that although conflict is on the rise globally, Mauritius, Botswana, and Namibia remain Africa’s most peaceful nations in 2025.

Mauritius secured 26th place globally, with Botswana ranking 43rd, while Namibia came third on the continent, holding the 50th position worldwide.

Nigeria's broader challenges around security and societal safety continue to heavily affect its overall peace ranking, according to the latest data.

7 nations join Trump’s board of peace

Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that seven nations, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt, confirmed they would join Donald Trump’s newly formed Board of Peace alongside Israel.

The initiative, aimed at consolidating a ceasefire in Gaza and supporting reconstruction, has drawn mixed reactions from global leaders.

While several countries and the Vatican considered participation, Slovenia rejected the invitation, warning it could disrupt the international order.