Kenya has been ranked as a more peaceful country than the United States, according to the newly released 2025 Global Peace Index (GPI).
The annual report, which is produced by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), shows that Kenya is placed 127th worldwide, just one position ahead of the United States, which came in at 128th.
This finding comes as a surprise to many, especially given that the U.S. government often issues travel advisories urging its citizens to be cautious when visiting Kenya, particularly in regions affected by sporadic insecurity.
However, the GPI results highlight that Kenya still performs slightly better than the United States when it comes to overall levels of peace.
East African Rankings
Within the East African region, Tanzania emerged as the most peaceful nation, ranked 73rd globally. Rwanda followed at 91st, then Uganda at 113th, Djibouti at 122nd, Kenya at 127th, Eritrea at 132nd, Burundi at 133rd, Ethiopia at 138th, and Somalia at 151st.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was listed as the least peaceful country in East Africa and also in the wider Sub-Saharan region, standing at 160th globally. The report noted that the DRC recorded the biggest decline in peacefulness among all African countries this year, largely due to ongoing conflict and instability.
Despite the challenges faced in East Africa, the report highlighted Mauritius as a model of peace. For the 18th year in a row, the island nation was ranked the most peaceful country in Sub-Saharan Africa, standing impressively at 26th position worldwide.
Global Rankings
On the global stage, Iceland retained its title as the most peaceful country in the world, a position it has held consistently since 2008. It was followed by Ireland (2nd), New Zealand (3rd), Austria (4th), and Switzerland (5th).
At the bottom of the index, Russia was ranked as the least peaceful country in the world for the very first time, amid its ongoing war in Ukraine and rising tensions with the West. Ukraine itself was placed at 162nd, just above Sudan (161st), the DRC (160th), and Yemen (159th).
Global Peace Declining
The 2025 GPI paints a worrying picture for international stability. The report revealed that global peacefulness has continued to decline, with an average deterioration of 0.36 percent over the past year. This marks the 13th time in the last 17 years that the world has become less peaceful overall.
According to the IEP, several key indicators suggest that the world is heading into a period of heightened risk. The report notes:
“The 2025 GPI finds that global peacefulness continues to decline and that many of the leading factors that precede major conflicts are higher than they have been since the end of World War II.”
The study points to increased militarisation, rising geopolitical tensions, breaking of traditional alliances, and growing economic uncertainty as the main drivers of worsening peace worldwide.
With more countries investing heavily in their military forces while dealing with political instability, the risk of new conflicts has reached its highest point in decades.
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