• Mauritius is the most peaceful country in Africa for the 18th year in a row

• Sub-Saharan Africa remains the region with the most conflicts globally

• Global peace has dropped to its lowest level since the index began in 2008

Mauritius, Botswana, and Namibia are Africa’s most peaceful nations in 2025, according to the latest Global Peace Index released on Wednesday, June 18, by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), an Australian think tank.

The index tracks peace trends across 163 countries and territories, covering 99.7% of the global population. It uses 23 quantitative and qualitative indicators grouped into three categories: safety and security (including terrorism and homicide rates), the extent of ongoing conflicts (such as civil wars or cross-border disputes), and militarization (including defense spending, troop numbers, and access to nuclear weapons).

Each country receives a score between 0 (ideal peace) and 5 (extreme violence).

Mauritius Leads Africa for 18th Consecutive Year

Mauritius ranks 26th globally with a score of 1.586, maintaining its position as the most peaceful country in Africa for the 18th straight year. The Indian Ocean island outperforms several developed nations, including the United Kingdom, France, and the United States.

Botswana follows in 43rd place globally, securing second place in Africa. Namibia ranks third in Africa and 50th worldwide. Other countries in Africa’s top 10 include The Gambia (55th), Sierra Leone (57th), Madagascar (59th), Ghana (61st), Zambia (64th), Senegal (69th), and Liberia (70th).

Most African Countries See Peace Deteriorate

Out of the 50 African countries evaluated in the index, 26 saw a decline in peace compared to 2024. Twenty-two countries improved, and two remained unchanged.

Sub-Saharan Africa's average peace score dropped by 0.17% from last year. It continues to be the region with the highest number of conflicts, with 36 of its 44 countries involved in some form of conflict over the past five years. This is a sharp rise from just seven countries in conflict back in 2008.

Despite these numbers, the Middle East and North Africa remains the least peaceful region in the world in 2025. Sudan, Yemen, Syria, and Israel are all ranked among the 10 least peaceful countries globally.

Globally, peace has reached its lowest level since the index was first published in 2008. In 2024 alone, 87 countries saw a decline in peace, while 74 showed improvements.

There are now 59 active state-level conflicts—the highest number since the end of World War II. A total of 152,000 conflict-related deaths were recorded in 2024.

The global economic cost of violence reached $19.97 trillion last year, representing 11.6% of global GDP.

Iceland continues to hold the title of the most peaceful country worldwide, as it has since 2008. Ireland and New Zealand complete the top three. At the bottom of the index are Russia and Ukraine, both heavily impacted by war.

Africa’s 50 Most Peaceful Countries in 2025 (by global ranking):

1. Mauritius (26)
2. Botswana (43)
3. Namibia (50)
4. The Gambia (55)
5. Sierra Leone (57)
6. Madagascar (59)
7. Ghana (61)
8. Zambia (64)
9. Senegal (69)
10. Liberia (70)
11. Malawi (71)
12. Tanzania (73)
13. Angola (76)
14. Tunisia (81)
15. Equatorial Guinea (82)
16. Morocco (85)
17. Rwanda (91)
18. Algeria (92)
19. Côte d’Ivoire (94)
20. Eswatini (99)
21. Guinea-Bissau (101)
22. Republic of Congo (103)
23. Egypt (107)
24. Mauritania (110)
25. Benin (112)
26. Uganda (113)
27. Zimbabwe (114)
28. Gabon (117)
29. Guinea (118)
30. Lesotho (119)
31. Mozambique (121)
32. Djibouti (122)
33. South Africa (124)
34. Togo (126)
35. Kenya (127)
36. Libya (131)
37. Eritrea (132)
38. Burundi (133)
39. Chad (134)
40. Cameroon (137)
41. Ethiopia (138)
42. Niger (143)
43. Nigeria (148)
44. Central African Republic (150)
45. Somalia (151)
46. Burkina Faso (152)
47. Mali (154)
48. South Sudan (156)
49. DR Congo (160)
50. Sudan (161)