Here's how the U.S. ranked on the 2025 Global Peace Index
The GPI, produced annually by the Institute for Economics and Peace, is the most comprehensive measure of global peacefulness. It evaluates 99.7-percent of the world's population across three key areas: societal safety and security, the presence of domestic and international conflict and levels of militarization.
This year's report paints a grim picture. Global peacefulness has been declining every year since 2014, and 2025 marks the lowest point yet. With 59 active state-based conflicts, over 150,000 conflict-related deaths in 2024 alone and rising instability in major powers, the world is entering what researchers call "The Great Fragmentation"—a new era of global disorder.
The U.S.'s poor ranking is driven by high homicide rates (six times the Western European average), political polarization, gun violence and its extensive military footprint. It sits just below Mozambique and just above El Salvador on the list.
By contrast, the top of the list is filled with calm, well-governed countries. Iceland retains its number one spot as the most peaceful country in the world, followed by Ireland, New Zealand, Austria and Switzerland. These nations score well due to stable institutions, low corruption and social cohesion—what the report calls "positive peace" factors.
Europe, despite some recent declines, remains the most peaceful region globally. The Middle East and North Africa, meanwhile, continue to rank as the least peaceful.
Ten most peaceful countries according to the Global Peace Index
Iceland
Ireland
New Zealand
Austria
Switzerland
Singapore
Portugal
Denmark
Slovenia
Finland
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
3 days ago
- Reuters
At Sintra getaway, central bankers mull threats to their domain
SINTRA, Portugal, July 3 (Reuters) - At their annual gathering in the hills of Portugal's Sintra, central bankers this week confronted rising challenges to their control of the global money system, from political attacks on the U.S. Federal Reserve to the rise of stablecoins. Recent editions of the European Central Bank's getaway event have been dominated by worries about high inflation - no surprise after central banks whose core task is price stability were mostly late to react to a surge in prices in 2021-22. But this year's discussions - from choreographed panel debates among central bank chiefs to late-night exchanges at the hotel bar - were centred on more existential threats to the monetary system as we know it. U.S. President Donald Trump's frequent, often personal, attacks on Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell - and hints about his replacement - were the most obvious example. Any suggestion that the Fed might bow to pressure from the White House to lower borrowing costs would hurt its reputation for independence - for decades a core tenet of central banking seen crucial for keeping policy credible and investors on-side. Two in three reserve managers at central banks polled by UBS Asset Management said in a survey released this week they feared that Federal Reserve independence was at risk. Powell batted away such worries during a panel discussion, saying he and colleagues were focused "100%" on low inflation and full employment "in a completely non-political way". He drew applause from an audience of economists and central bankers, with ECB President Christine Lagarde saying she and her peers would do the same if they were in Powell's shoes. But confidence has already been shaken. Central bankers were openly fretting about a topic that was taboo only a few months ago: will the Fed, even under a Trump-picked chair next year, continue to lend dollars to foreign banks when they are in trouble? Commercial lenders outside the United States have been able to borrow dollars even when they are shut out of financial markets via swap lines between the Fed and some other central banks created during the 2008 global financial crisis. These facilities underpin the $25-trillion market for dollar credit outside the United States and also serve a domestic purpose: by helping to douse financial fires abroad, they effectively prevent them from spreading to Wall Street. The Trump administration's retreat from international coordination has raised some concerns about these lifelines, even though there has been no action so far to suggest they will be cut. Governor Rhee Chang-yong said his Bank of Korea, which unlike the ECB and other major central banks does not have a standing arrangement with the Fed and relies on temporary help when needed, might have to fend for itself in the future. "If there's no global dollars shortage, our understanding is that the Fed cannot extend the swap-line in that case and we have to self-defense ourselves," Rhee said at the conference. His Japanese peer Kazuo Ueda emphasised the importance of regional swap lines, such as the Chiang Mai Initiative of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as an additional safety net. One European central banker speaking on condition of anonymity said pooling dollar and gold reserves across countries could also serve as a stopgap, although it was unlikely to be sufficient to plug major shortfalls. These fears fed a broader debate about the dollar losing its status as the world's currency of choice for saving and trading, with a lack of viable alternatives in sight. Seeking to reassure colleagues, Powell said the Fed retained its legal authorities and was "still prepared to use" them. Stablecoins - crypto tokens pegged to an official currency - were a new entry among Sintra's topics of debate, even keeping some central bankers up late in informal discussions at the conference venue's bar. While some recognised stablecoins' efficiency as a means of exchange, their proliferation in recent years - and especially since Trump threw his weight behind them as a way to extend the dollar's global reach - was seen as alarming by many central bankers. They fear stablecoins may be prone to "runs" if investors suspect the issuing company does not have enough currency to back outstanding tokens, as happened to TerraUSD in 2022. Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said stablecoins must show they can "hold their nominal value" if they are to be treated as a legitimate means of exchange. The ECB's Lagarde went as far as saying stablecoins amount to "a privatisation of money", taking the supply of currency away from central bankers and undermining their capacity to conduct monetary policy. Rhee was even more specific, saying stablecoins denominated in South Korean won - one of President Lee Jae Myung's election pledges - could undermine the domestic currency by making it easier to switch to dollars.
Reuters
5 days ago
- Reuters
Morning Bid: Markets sit tight for trade progress
A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Ankur Banerjee Markets shrugged off the U.S. Senate passing President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill", with investor attention fixed to the path for U.S. interest rates and trade deals ahead of the United States' re-imposition of tariffs on July 9. Trump's tirade against the Federal Reserve and its Chair Jerome Powell to lower rates has stoked investor worries of the central bank's independence and credibility. It has also led to traders pricing in the possibility of early rate cuts. But Powell, at a central bank gathering in Portugal, reiterated that the Fed plans to "wait and learn more" about the impact of tariffs on inflation before lowering interest rates. That, along with relatively upbeat labour data on Tuesday, has left investors none the wiser about when the Fed would cut rates and watching out for Thursday's nonfarm payrolls data for cues. European stocks are set for a slightly higher open after a mixed Asian session, where Japan's Nikkei dropped 0.75% whereas Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index (.HSI), opens new tab gained 0.75%. Trump's tax bill, which will add to the already enormous U.S. debt pile, slash taxes, reduce social safety net programs and boost military and immigration enforcement spending, now heads to the House of Representatives for possible final approval. Meanwhile, with the July 9 tariff day creeping closer, countries are scrambling to agree trade deals with the U.S. India is likely ink a deal whereas Japan is not, Trump said. All that has left markets in flux as we head into the second half of the year. The first half was dominated by relentless U.S. dollar selling as investors grappled with Trump's chaotic trade policies and looked for alternative places to park their money. The euro has had a blistering 2025 so far gaining 14% and perched at its highest level since September 2021, but whether it could replace the dollar as the world's reserve currency of choice is an open question. Central bankers gathered for an annual conference in the Portuguese resort of Sintra do not expect a major challenge to the dollar's status any time soon. "It's not going to happen just like that overnight. It never did historically," said European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde. "But there is clearly something that has been broken. Whether it is fixable, or whether it is going to continue to be broken - I think the jury's out." Key developments that could influence markets on Wednesday: Economic events: Euro zone unemployment rate for May, trade deal updates Trying to keep up with the latest tariff news? Our new daily news digest offers a rundown of the top market-moving headlines impacting global trade. Sign up for Tariff Watch here.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- The Guardian
Federal Reserve chair blames Trump's tariffs for preventing interest rates cut
The chair of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, has blamed Donald Trump's tariffs for preventing the immediate interest rate cuts the president has demanded. Trump has repeatedly urged Powell to reduce borrowing costs in the US economy. He posted a hand-scrawled note on his Truth Social platform on Monday, saying: 'You have cost the USA a fortune – and continue to do so – you should lower the rate by a lot!' Speaking on Tuesday on a panel of central bankers organised by the European Central Bank (ECB) in Portugal, Powell said the Fed was waiting to assess the inflationary impact of the president's trade policies. 'In effect we went on hold when we saw the size of the tariffs,' Powell told the event in Sintra. 'Essentially all inflation forecasts for the United States went up materially as a consequence of the tariffs. We didn't overreact, in fact we didn't react at all, We're simply taking some time.' Asked if the Fed would have cut its key Fed funds rate further, from the current target range of 4.25-4.5%, if it wasn't for tariffs, Powell said: 'I think that's right.' Economists generally expect tariffs to be inflationary, as the costs of paying them tends to be passed on to consumers. The effects are highly uncertain, however, as some retailers may be able to absorb some or all of the costs, or switch to alternative suppliers. Powell said: 'We haven't seen effects much from tariffs, and we didn't expect to by now. We've always said the timing, amount and persistence of the inflation would be highly uncertain and it's certainly proved that.' He added: 'We're watching. We expect to see over the summer some higher readings, but we're prepared to learn that it can be higher, or lower, or later or sooner than we'd expected.' Trump has consistently sought to undermine Powell since returning to the White House. His treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, has suggested the administration might take advantage of the opening of a vacant seat on the Fed's board to appoint a potential successor. 'There's a seat opening up … in January. So we've given thought to the idea that perhaps that person would go on to become the chair when Jay Powell leaves in May,' he told Bloomberg TV. Speaking alongside Powell, the ECB president, Christine Lagarde, suggested it was too soon to declare 'mission accomplished' on inflation; while the Bank of England governor, Andrew Bailey, said there were signs that the jobs market in the UK is slowing.
