India’s Ranking in the Global Peace Index 2025 Compared to Neighbors and Global Powers

Peace is one of the fundamental prerequisites for a nation’s progress and prosperity. The Global Peace Index (GPI), published annually by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), provides an authoritative snapshot of how peaceful each country is. The GPI 2025 evaluates 163 countries, covering 99.7% of the global population. It uses 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators across three major domains: societal safety and security, ongoing domestic and international conflict, and degree of militarization.

In 2025, India ranks 115th out of 163 countries, reflecting moderate improvements over the past year. This article provides a detailed analysis of India’s standing, comparing it with its neighbors—Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and China—and the United States, offering insights into peace trends across South Asia and beyond.

India’s Ranking in GPI 2025

India’s score in the Global Peace Index 2025 is 2.229, placing it at 115th position. This marks a one-place improvement from its 116th rank in 2024 and a significant jump from 126th in 2023. This upward trend reflects gradual enhancements in certain internal indicators such as reduced civil unrest, improved public safety, and better political stability.

Despite the progress, India continues to grapple with internal conflicts, border tensions, and high military expenditure. These factors continue to pull down its overall peacefulness score. Issues such as insurgencies in some northeastern states, communal tensions, and its ongoing border disputes with China and Pakistan continue to affect the peace ranking.

How India Compares with Its Neighbors

Let us explore how India fares against its regional peers and key global nations in the GPI 2025:

1. Pakistan – Rank 144

Pakistan ranks 144th in 2025, significantly lower than India. It continues to be among the least peaceful countries globally. The country’s peace score is negatively influenced by political instability, frequent terrorist activities, military involvement in governance, and strained relations with neighboring India and Afghanistan.

Although there have been some attempts at political reform, the rise in extremist activities and economic challenges have kept Pakistan’s score low.

2. Bangladesh – Rank 123

Bangladesh ranks 123rd in the GPI 2025, ahead of both India and Pakistan. Despite occasional political unrest, the country has enjoyed relatively stable governance and moderate improvement in law enforcement and social safety.

However, concerns remain over press freedom, judicial independence, and labor rights violations, which keep Bangladesh in the lower half of the index.

3. Sri Lanka – Rank 105

Sri Lanka has made notable progress, ranking 105th. Post-civil war recovery, democratic reforms, and improved security have helped enhance its peacefulness. However, economic instability and social unrest during the financial crisis of the past two years still cast a shadow.

Ethnic and religious tensions occasionally flare up, but the overall trajectory remains positive.

4. Nepal – Rank 105

Nepal shares the same rank as Sri Lanka, coming in at 105th. A peaceful and democratic transition after a decade-long civil conflict has allowed Nepal to maintain a relatively stable peace environment. Low military spending and minimal international conflict contribute to its positive ranking.

Challenges such as political fragmentation and poor infrastructure still pose risks to long-term peace, but Nepal remains among the more peaceful countries in South Asia.

5. China – Rank 90

China ranks 90th, the best among India’s neighboring countries. Its internal peace is tightly maintained through strong state control and a low crime rate. However, China’s international image is impacted by territorial tensions, including in the South China Sea and along its border with India, as well as concerns over human rights in regions like Xinjiang and Tibet.

Nonetheless, the country’s relatively low crime levels and controlled public dissent help it rank higher than most South Asian countries.

The United States – Rank 128

The United States ranks 128th, placing it below India. Despite being a global superpower, the U.S. continues to score poorly due to domestic gun violence, mass shootings, political polarization, and high incarceration rates. Additionally, the U.S. maintains one of the highest military expenditures in the world, contributing to a lower peace score.

Civil unrest following major political events and racial tensions have further deteriorated its score in recent years. The U.S. continues to participate in several international military engagements, impacting its ranking negatively.

Key Insights from the GPI 2025

South Asia Is One of the Least Peaceful Regions Globally
With the exception of Nepal and Sri Lanka, most South Asian countries fall in the bottom half of the Global Peace Index. The region continues to face challenges such as territorial disputes, internal political instability, terrorism, and militarization.
India’s Relative Position Is Stable but Not Leading
India has improved from previous years, showing a commitment to better internal security and governance. However, it still trails behind neighbors like China, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, which benefit from relatively less internal conflict and lower levels of militarization.
China’s Controlled Internal Peace Boosts Its Ranking
Despite being perceived as an authoritarian state, China’s internal peace and disciplined public order push its ranking above most South Asian countries. Its international conflicts, however, are a limiting factor.
U.S. Struggles with Domestic Peace
The United States ranks lower than India due to high internal conflict indicators like violent crime, gun ownership, and civil unrest. This serves as a reminder that economic strength does not automatically translate to internal peace.

Conclusion

The Global Peace Index 2025 provides a comprehensive lens to evaluate the internal and external peace conditions of nations. India’s 115th rank highlights both its improvements and persistent challenges. While the country is making steady progress, issues like border conflicts, communal tensions, and military escalation continue to hamper its peacefulness score.

Compared to its neighbors, India fares better than Pakistan but lags behind Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and China. The comparison with the United States also emphasizes that even developed countries can struggle with internal peace. Moving forward, India must focus on conflict resolution, reducing militarization, and promoting social cohesion to climb higher in global peace rankings and establish itself as a peaceful power in South Asia and beyond.

Note : Before Narendra Modi assumed office in May 2014, India’s standing on the Global Peace Index was considerably lower. In 2013, India ranked 141st out of 162 countries, placing it among the least peaceful nations globally. The country’s low score stemmed from internal challenges such as insurgencies, communal tensions, border disputes, and high military expenditure. These factors contributed to a perception of instability, both domestically and regionally. Since then, while India has continued to face security-related issues, its ranking has shown a gradual upward trend, improving to 115th in 2025, indicating relative progress in maintaining internal order and managing external threats more effectively.