Switzerland secures third place in Global Peace Index 2026

Switzerland has been ranked as the third most peaceful country in the world in the Global Peace Index 2026 (GPI).

How peaceful is Switzerland?

Against the backdrop of global uncertainty and instability over the past year, Switzerland has defended its title as one of the most peaceful countries in the world. The country, often known for neutrality and harmony, has been ranked third in the GPI 2026 by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP).

Despite dropping one place in the ranking compared to 2025, Switzerland scored highly with an overall GPI score of 1,363. The alpine nation scores "more peaceful" when it came to political instability, the political terror scale, deaths from internal and external conflicts, the number of refugees, relations with neighbouring countries and the number of internal conflicts.

Switzerland scored “less peaceful” for the number of police per 100.000 people, access to small arms and light weapons, violent demonstrations and weapons exports.

Global Peace Index 2026

The GPI ranks 163 countries, covering 99,7 percent of the population, and is “the world’s leading measure of global peacefulness”.

The index uses 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators to measure peace in three areas: “the level of societal safety and security, the extent of ongoing domestic and international conflict and the degree of militarisation”. You can read details of the GPI methodology here. 

Iceland came out on top as the most peaceful country in the world, with a GPI score of 1,161, followed by New Zealand in second place, scoring 1,343. Russia ranked the lowest with a score of 3,367.

World peace at its lowest level in almost 20 years

The GPI 2026 found that the world is “struggling with the economic consequences of a record-high number of conflicts” that are particularly “interconnected and difficult to resolve”.

The global geopolitical stage is experiencing a shift in power away from “traditional European powers” towards “middle powers”, which is increasingly intertwined with technological changes in how wars are fought.

According to the 2026 index, “global peace is at its lowest level since [the GPI's] inception” in 2007, as 99 countries experienced more conflict in 2026 and 119 (around 73 percent) of countries are now less peaceful than when the index was created.

What are the 10 most peaceful countries in the world

According to IEP’s Global Peace Index 2026, these are the most peaceful countries in the world (GPI score):

1. Iceland (1,161)
2. New Zealand (1,343)
3. Switzerland (1,363)
4. Slovenia (1,369)
5. Ireland (1,371)
6. Austria (1,421)
7. Portugal (1,427)
8. Singapore (1,435)
9. Finland (1,478)
10. Japan (1,489)

View the full ranking here.