South Asia becomes least peaceful region globally: Global Peace Index
What's the story
The Global Peace Index (GPI) 2026 has revealed a shocking decline in peacefulness in South Asia, making it the world's least peaceful region. The Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) noted a 2.3% drop in the region's average score due to rising internal conflicts and political instability. The report highlights that South Asia is plagued by ethnic conflicts, political unrest, terrorism, and strained relations between neighboring countries.
Regional leaders
Bhutan tops the list
Bhutan is the most peaceful country in South Asia, ranking 16th globally. Despite a slight decline in its score, Bhutan remains a stable and peaceful nation. On the other hand, Sri Lanka has made significant strides by improving its peace score by 2.3%. The island nation now ranks 67th globally due to political stability and economic recovery after a financial crisis in 2022.
Nepal's decline
Nepal sees steepest decline in South Asia
Nepal has witnessed the steepest decline in South Asia, with its peace score dropping by 9.1%. The decline was attributed to large-scale protests after a government ban on multiple social media platforms in September 2025. The protests turned violent, leading to a political crisis and the resignation of the prime minister. Bangladesh is the third most peaceful country in South Asia, ranking 117th globally. However, political stability concerns continue to affect its ranking.
Other rankings
India, Pakistan and Afghanistan's rankings
India has slipped to 127th place due to worsening conflict-related indicators and rising tensions with Pakistan and Myanmar, as well as continuing ethnic violence in Manipur. Pakistan's peace score deteriorated by 5.5%, pushing it down to 152nd place globally amid rising terrorism and internal conflict. Afghanistan remains South Asia's least peaceful nation at rank 157th globally, despite some improvement in political stability indicators after the Taliban consolidated power.