• Estimates economic impact of violence at 10.5% of global GDP
Dike Onwuamaeze
Nigeria, along with Russia, Israel, United State of America (USA), Sudan and other countries, has been listed among the 119 least peaceful countries in the 2026 Global Peace Index (GPI), which was published by the Institute for Economics and Peace.
Key findings of the report obtained yesterday, showed that there are119 countries in the world that are less peaceful now than they were in 2008.
It stated that the number of conflicts was at its highest point since the end of World War II, with 61 active state-based conflicts in 2024, with the number having doubled in the last 15 years.
The report noted that the expansion has been driven almost entirely by internationalised intrastate conflicts, which have increased by more than 175 per cent since 2010.
The 2026 GPI revealed a world struggling with the economic consequences of a record-high number of conflicts that are increasingly interconnected and difficult to resolve.
It added that “global peacefulness deteriorated for the 12th consecutive year, driven by a profound geopolitical shift, known as the ‘Great Fragmentation’, characterised by the rising influence of middle powers and the waning strength of traditional European powers.”
According to the report, Nigeria was ranked 142 out of 163 countries with an index score of 2,755.
It stated that Iceland remained the most peaceful country in the world for the 19th consecutive year, followed by New Zealand, Switzerland, Slovenia, and Ireland.
It ranked Russia as the least peaceful country, with Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ukraine, and Israel completing the bottom five.
The report stated that peace in the USA deteriorated by four per cent in 2025, mainly due to an increase in political instability, which deteriorated by 38.5 per cent, the largest fall since the inception of the GPI.
Mauritius was the only African country that was ranked among the 30 most peaceful countries while 12 African countries featured in the list of 30 least peaceful countries.
The report estimated that global economic impact of violence was $21.8 trillion in constant PPP terms in 2025, which was equivalent to 10.5 per cent of global GDP, or $2,657 per person.
It said that expenditure on peacebuilding and peacekeeping was $49.2 billion in 2025, just 0.5 per cent of total military spending in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms.
The report noted that rapid technological revolution in warfare was leaving international law and diplomacy far behind.
It said: “For the first time in history, machines are making life-and-death combat decisions faster than any human can review them, and the international frameworks meant to govern them lack global commitment.”
The report expressed concern that drones have become the defining weapon of modern warfare, spreading faster than any government could keep up with.
It revealed that drone attacks rose roughly 11,500 per cent between 2018 and 2025, and 565 different armed groups carried out at least one attack in that period.
