Bangladesh ranks as the fourth most peaceful country in South Asia

In the 2026 Global Peace Index (GPI), Bangladesh has been ranked as the fourth most peaceful country in South Asia, ahead of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The index, released on June 9 by the Australia-based Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), classifies Bangladesh as being in the “medium” level of peace.

Covering 163 countries and territories, the report places Bangladesh at 117th globally, with a score of 2.226 out of 5. The index, now in its 20th edition, represents 99.7% of the world’s population.

Peace is measured across 23 indicators in three main domains: societal safety and security, ongoing domestic and international conflict, and militarisation. A lower score indicates a higher level of peace.

For Bangladesh, the scores are broken down as follows: 2.579 in societal safety and security, 2.237 in ongoing conflict, and 1.615 in militarisation.

In South Asia, Bhutan remains the most peaceful country in the region, ranking 16th globally and being the only country in the “high peace” category. It is followed by Sri Lanka at 67th and Nepal at 111th.

India has dropped to the “low peace” category due to a deterioration in its ongoing conflict score, ranking fifth in South Asia and 127th globally. Pakistan (152nd) and Afghanistan (157th) remain the least peaceful countries in the region.

The report notes that South Asia experienced its largest regional decline in peace in 2026, with an average deterioration of 2.3%. The decline is mainly driven by worsening ongoing conflicts, which deteriorated by 7.1%, attributed to rising internal instability and border tensions.

Globally, Iceland remains the most peaceful country for the 19th consecutive year, followed by New Zealand, Switzerland, Slovenia and Ireland.

For the first time in history, Russia has been ranked as the least peaceful country in the world, followed by Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ukraine and Israel.

The report adds that global peacefulness has declined by 0.7% over the past year, continuing a 12-year downward trend. Out of 163 countries assessed, 99 recorded a deterioration in peace, while 62 showed improvement.

It also highlights potential risks for Bangladesh, particularly its dependence on energy imports, food security concerns and environmental vulnerabilities. Rising costs of LNG imports and global market pressures could have significant economic impacts.

In an extreme scenario, a prolonged disruption in the Strait of Hormuz could increase Bangladesh’s energy import costs by 1.5% to 2.5% of GDP, the report estimates. It also warns of broader risks from a global economic slowdown, which could particularly affect import-dependent economies in South Asia.