Overview
- The Institute for Economics & Peace published the Global Peace Index on Thursday, July 9, 2026, reporting a 12th consecutive year of declining global peace driven largely by armed conflicts and increased interstate involvement.
- Iceland retained the top spot for the nineteenth straight year while France plunged from 74th to 99th out of 163 countries, a fall the GPI attributes to a 2% deterioration in security tied to rising violent crime and perceptions of criminality.
- The GPI cites large-scale social unrest in France in September 2025, when the 'Bloquons tout' movement mobilised hundreds of thousands, produced clashes with police and led to more than 300 arrests, and notes increased national militarisation as a factor in the ranking.
- Regional data show Europe remains the most peaceful region overall but worsened on average (0.6%) with 22 of 33 countries declining, and the report also finds more active interstate wars than at any time since World War II.
- Analysts and media have highlighted that the GPI combines 23 indicators — crime, internal conflict, political stability and militarisation — which can blend objective crime data with subjective perceptions and thus prompt debate over what the rankings should mean for policy and public debate.