📊 Sri Lanka Climbs 14 Places to Rank 67th in Global Peace Index 2026

Sri Lanka has significantly improved its standing in the 2026 Global Peace Index (GPI), climbing 14 places from 97th in 2025 to rank 67th globally, according to the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). • Regional Standings: Sri Lanka now ranks as the second most peaceful country in South Asia, positioned only behind Bhutan (16th globally). Sri Lanka recorded the largest percentage improvement in the South Asian region, with its overall score improving by 2.3% to 1.91. Conversely, Afghanistan ranks as the least peaceful in the region at 157th globally. • Key Drivers of Sri Lanka's Progress: • Militarisation Domain: Improved by 6.4%, driven heavily by a 40.8% increase in the UN peacekeeping funding indicator. • Safety and Security Domain: Improved by 1.8%, supported by a 25% improvement in the political instability indicator. • South Asian Context: The region recorded the worst overall deterioration globally (-2.3%), primarily driven by a 7.1% decline in the conflict domain due to escalating internal and cross-border tensions. Only two regional countries showed improvement. • Global Trends: Iceland remains the world’s most peaceful country, while Russia ranks last (163rd). Global peacefulness hit its lowest level since 2007, with 99 countries deteriorating over the past year. • Economic Impact: The global economic impact of violence rose by 3.2% to US$ 21.81 Tn in 2025, equivalent to 10.5% of global GDP. Global military expenditure reached a record US$ 2.9 Tn.