Top 10 most peaceful countries in Africa 2025 - Latest ranking

Each year, the Global Peace Index (GPI) ranks countries based on factors such as safety, security, ongoing conflict, and militarisation.

In the most recent edition, several African nations have made notable progress, with some maintaining their long-standing positions among the continent’s most peaceful countries.

Published annually since 2007 by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), the GPI is the world’s leading measure of global peacefulness. The report assesses 163 independent states and territories according to their level of peacefulness.

It presents the most comprehensive, data-driven analysis to date on global peace trends, the economic value of peace, and strategies for building more peaceful societies.

Covering 163 countries which account for 99.7 per cent of the world’s population, the Index uses 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from reputable sources.

It measures the state of peace across three key domains: the level of societal safety and security, the extent of ongoing domestic and international conflict, and the degree of militarisation.

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In addition to ranking countries, the report also provides in-depth analysis of current global conflicts, identifies escalation hotspots and risk factors, explores the economic impact of violence, and highlights the importance of Positive Peace in fostering national resilience.

The Global Peace Index is released every June.

According to the 2025 edition, the average level of global peacefulness deteriorated by 0.36 per cent, marking the sixth consecutive year of decline. In fact, the global average score has worsened in 13 of the past 17 years and has not shown overall improvement since the 2013 edition.

In the past year alone, 74 countries recorded an improvement in their peace score, while 87 saw a deterioration. Alarmingly, 97 countries are now less peaceful than they were at the launch of the Index in 2008.

Globally, the top five most peaceful countries are:

1. Iceland – score: 1.095

2. Ireland – score: 1.260

3. New Zealand – score: 1.282

4. Austria – score: 1.294

5. Switzerland – score: 1.294

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In Africa, Mauritius remains the most peaceful country, ranking 26th globally.

Meanwhile, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) remains the least peaceful region in the world for the tenth consecutive year. The region recorded a slight deterioration in peacefulness over the past year, with its average GPI score worsening by 0.17 per cent. Four of the ten least peaceful countries on the 2025 Index are located in MENA.

Sub-Saharan Africa also experienced a decline in peacefulness. The region’s average score worsened by 0.17 per cent, with an even split between countries that improved and those that declined in overall peacefulness. Notably, three of the ten least peaceful countries in the world are in this region.

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Sub-Saharan Africa continues to face multiple security challenges, most notably the rising political instability and terrorism in the Central Sahel region. Burkina Faso currently has the highest terrorism impact globally, and six of the ten countries with the highest terrorism impact are located in sub-Saharan Africa.