Ukraine ranked second to last in the Global Peace Index in 2025.

In 2025, Ukraine ranked second to last in the Global Peace Index (GPI). Only Russia is lower. These data have become one of the harshest indicators of how the ongoing war affects the formal perception of the country’s security and stability on a global level.

The ranking does not assess “guilt” or “rightness.” It records reality: the level of violence, the scale of the conflict, and its impact on society and state institutions.

What the Global Peace Index Measures

The Global Peace Index is a comprehensive index that analyzes 163 countries across several dozen indicators. Among them are the intensity of armed conflicts, the level of militarization, internal security, the number of casualties, refugees, and the overall pressure of war on the state.

The 2025 report recorded a deterioration in the global picture:
87 countries worsened their positions,
74 improved,
and the overall level of peace in the world decreased by 0.36%.

Ukraine ended up almost at the bottom of the list not because of internal instability per se, but because of the prolonged and intense armed conflict that has been ongoing since 2014 and has escalated into a full-scale phase.

War as the Main Factor in the Ranking

The report’s authors directly point out: the key factor in Ukraine’s drop in the ranking remains Russia’s military aggression. The scale of hostilities, regular shelling, infrastructure destruction, and millions of internally displaced persons all automatically lower peace indicators, regardless of political reforms or economic dynamics.

It is important to understand: the Global Peace Index does not equate the aggressor and the victim. However, the index’s methodology records the consequences of war, not its causes.

The Paradox of Growth and Decline

Interestingly, despite the catastrophically low place in the peace ranking, Ukraine shows growth in other global indices.

In September, the country rose by seven positions in the global economic freedom ranking.
In December, Ukraine entered the top 100 largest arms producers for the first time according to SIPRI — as a result of forced military mobilization of the industry.

Meanwhile, in October, Ukraine lost positions in the visa-free regime ranking, dropping to 33rd place.

These divergent signals highlight the main paradox: a country can reform and develop while remaining in a zone of extreme conflict.

Russia — the Absolute Outsider

In the last, 163rd place, in the Global Peace Index-2025 is Russia. The report notes a high level of militarization, external aggression, and the destruction of mechanisms of international trust.

In fact, Russia and Ukraine close the ranking together, but for diametrically opposite reasons: one as the source of the war, the other as its epicenter.

Contrast with “Quiet Havens”

At the other end of the ranking are Iceland, Ireland, New Zealand, Austria, Switzerland, as well as Germany, Finland, Czech Republic, Japan, and Singapore.

These countries are practically not involved in armed conflicts and have stable security institutions. The contrast with Ukraine highlights how war distorts any formal indicators, even with political will and ally support.

What This Ranking Really Means

Second to last place in the Global Peace Index is not a characteristic of Ukrainian society and not an assessment of its values. It is a diagnosis of war, which has been going on for too long and too intensely.

The ranking records the cost of resistance. And that is why its data is important: they show that peace is not an abstract concept, but a measurable category that Ukraine today is forced to defend literally physically.

In conditions where peace becomes a rare global resource, the Ukrainian situation remains one of the key indicators of how quickly the world can slide down the security scale — this is regularly reminded by NAnews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency.