Sri Lanka has climbed 30 places to 67th on the 2026 Global Peace Index, up from 97th in the previous edition, the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) said in its annual report released Wednesday, NewsFirst reported.
The jump leaves Sri Lanka as the second most peaceful country in South Asia behind Bhutan, which ranked 16th globally. The IEP attributed the improvement to a 2.3 percent gain in Sri Lanka’s overall peace score, a 25 percent reduction in political instability indicators and a 40.8 percent increase in UN peacekeeping funding contributions. The militarisation domain improved 6.4 percent, the report noted.
Among the risk factors flagged for Sri Lanka, the IEP highlighted a 101 percent debt-to-GDP ratio and a roughly 60 percent dependence on energy imports — the latter a structural vulnerability that has been thrown into sharp relief by the partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz and successive fuel-price upward revisions tied to Brent above $100. The Institute warned that any further escalation in the Iran war could erode Sri Lanka’s gains by raising domestic political and economic stress.
Globally, Iceland retained its position as the world’s most peaceful country, followed by Ireland and New Zealand. South Sudan, Russia and Yemen ranked at the bottom of the 163-country index. The IEP said the average level of global peacefulness deteriorated for the 11th consecutive year, with the gap between the most and least peaceful countries reaching a record high.
The Global Peace Index measures 23 indicators across three domains — societal safety and security, ongoing domestic and international conflict, and militarisation — to produce a composite ranking. The 2026 edition draws on data through end-2025 and early 2026.
Sources: NewsFirst — Sri Lanka ranks 67th in Global Peace Index 2026; Newswire — Sri Lanka ranks 67th in Global Peace Index 2026.
