Top 10 most peaceful countries in the world in 2026

The 2026 Global Peace Index shows that peacefulness remains concentrated among a group of countries with low levels of conflict and strong performance across measures of safety and security.

Europe continues to dominate the rankings, accounting for seven of the 10 most peaceful countries, while New Zealand, Singapore and Japan represent the Pacific and Asia. The regional concentration highlights the continued strength of European countries across the index’s measures of peace.

The rankings also show how closely some countries perform against one another. Switzerland, Slovenia and Ireland, for instance, are separated by relatively small differences in their overall scores, underlining the narrow margins between countries near the top of the index.

The index ranks 163 countries using indicators covering three broad areas: safety and security, ongoing domestic and international conflict, and militarisation. These measures provide a broader assessment of peacefulness beyond the absence of war or armed conflict.

Read also: Top 8 most peaceful countries in 2025

The 2026 results show that peace is influenced by several conditions working together, including levels of violence and insecurity, political stability, conflict exposure and military activity. The rankings therefore provide a comparative picture of how countries perform across multiple dimensions that contribute to peaceful societies.

Here are the 10 countries ranked highest in the 2026 Global Peace Index:

1. Iceland

Iceland ranks first with a score of 1.161, making it the country with the highest level of peacefulness in the 2026 index. Its position reflects its performance across areas including societal safety, conflict and militarisation.
For Iceland, the top position places it ahead of 162 other countries measured by the index.

2. New Zealand

New Zealand ranks second with a score of 1.343. It is the highest-ranked country outside Europe and one of two countries from the Pacific region in the top 10.
Its position puts it among countries recording low levels of conflict and strong levels of societal safety.

3. Switzerland

Switzerland takes third place with a score of 1.363. The country is one of seven European countries in the top 10.
Its ranking places it ahead of countries such as Slovenia, Ireland and Austria, which also recorded scores within the “Very High” category.

4. Slovenia

Slovenia ranks fourth with a score of 1.369. It is one of the countries contributing to Europe’s strong presence at the top of the index.
The country’s position is also notable because its score is close to those of Switzerland and Ireland, showing how narrow the difference is among several countries near the top.

5. Ireland

Ireland ranks fifth with a score of 1.371. It remains within the “Very High” category and sits just behind Slovenia.
Its position places it among the five countries with the highest levels of peacefulness in the 2026 ranking.

6. Austria

Austria takes sixth place with a score of 1.421. It is the fourth European country in the top six.
The country’s ranking places it within the “Very High” classification, alongside Iceland, New Zealand, Switzerland, Slovenia, Ireland and Portugal.

7. Portugal

Portugal ranks seventh with a score of 1.427. It is another European country in the “Very High” category.
Its position means that seven of the first seven countries in the ranking are either in Europe or New Zealand, highlighting the concentration of high peace scores in these regions.

8. Singapore

Singapore ranks eighth with a score of 1.435. It is the only Southeast Asian country in the top 10.
Unlike the seven European countries ahead of it, Singapore’s ranking shows that high levels of peacefulness are also recorded outside Europe.

9. Finland

Finland takes ninth place with a score of 1.478. It remains within the “Very High” category.
The country is one of three Nordic countries among the top 10, alongside Iceland and Sweden’s regional peers, although Sweden does not appear in this particular top 10.

10. Japan

Japan completes the top 10 with a score of 1.489. It is classified as “High”, rather than “Very High”, making it the only country in the top 10 outside the “Very High” category.
Japan’s position also makes it the second Asian country on the list after Singapore.