Five largest deteriorations in Peace.

 

Bangladesh experienced the largest deterioration in peacefulness on the 2025 GPI, falling 33 places to 123rd, its lowest ranking since the inception of the index. After experiencing an improvement in 2023, Bangladesh’s overall score deteriorated by 13.2 per cent in 2024. The primary driver of the fall in peacefulness was wide-scale civil unrest, followed by a subsequent government crackdown that resulted in deadly violence. In August 2024, amid demonstrations calling for the end of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s rule, she resigned and fled the country. An interim government was established; however, the power transition remains fragile in the face of competing interests between opposition groups, student protesters and the military. Bangladesh recorded significant deteriorations in the Safety and Security domain, driven by the violent demonstrations and political instability indicators because of large-scale student protests over dissatisfaction with the Hasina government. The government's response was marked by severe crackdowns involving security forces and affiliated groups, leading to widespread violence and allegations of extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances. Estimates of the death toll vary, with the Ministry of Health reporting over 1,000 fatalities, while the UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights estimates around 1,400 deaths. The unrest over the last year also led Bangladesh’s score on the Ongoing Conflict domain to deteriorate by nearly 22 per cent, with significant deteriorations recorded in the deaths from internal conflict, internal conflicts fought and intensity of internal conflict indicators. The deaths from internal conflict indicator deteriorated by over 3,500 per cent in 2024, with 436 conflict deaths recorded over the past year. The Militarisation domain recorded a 14.3 per cent deterioration over the past year. This was driven by deteriorations on the UN peacekeeping funding, nuclear and heavy weapons, and armed services personnel rate indicators. However, two indicators in this domain registered improvements, with weapons imports falling by 52 per cent and military expenditure falling slightly, from 0.81 to 0.76 per cent of Bangladesh’s GDP. 

Ukraine recorded the second largest deterioration in peacefulness on the 2025 GPI. Its overall score deteriorated by 8.2 per cent, resulting in a drop of three places to a rank of 162nd. This is the country’s worst rank in the history of the GPI. The Ongoing Conflict domain recorded the largest deterioration of the three domains, with internal conflicts fought and deaths from external conflicts both deteriorating significantly. There was also a significant deterioration on the Safety and Security domain, largely driven by notable increases on the political terror scale and terrorism impact indicators. The primary driver of the deterioration in peacefulness in Ukraine is the ongoing war with Russia. Unsurprisingly, the impact of the war has led to a large increase in Militarisation. Over the past year, Ukraine’s score on the weapons imports indicator deteriorated by 70 per cent, while military expenditure as a percentage of GDP has increased from 2.1 per cent at the start of the war, to an estimated 15.4 per cent in 2024. Ukraine’s score on the Ongoing Conflict domain deteriorated for the fourth consecutive year. The past year marked the first major offensive of Ukrainian troops into Russian territory, with the onset of the Kursk offensive in August 2024. As a result of this offensive, Ukraine’s score on the external conflict deaths indicator deteriorated significantly. Outside of its immediate impact on the Ongoing Conflict and Militarisation domains, the war in Ukraine has also had a significant impact on measures of Safety and Security. Violent crime and organised crime have increased significantly, with arms trafficking, gang-related violence and reports of domestic violence all surging over the past year. The proliferation of firearms from the conflict zone contributed to these trends, exacerbating public safety concerns.

Russia recorded the third largest deterioration of any country on the 2025 GPI, with its overall score deteriorating by 6.5 per cent. Russia fell two places in the rankings and is now the least peaceful country on the GPI. The primary driver of the deterioration in peacefulness in Russia was the ongoing war with Ukraine, whose impact was reflected in significant deteriorations on the Ongoing Conflict and Safety and Security domains, which deteriorated by 13.4 per cent and 4.6 per cent, respectively. On the Ongoing Conflict domain, both the internal conflicts fought and deaths from internal conflict indicators deteriorated significantly, with the latter worsening by over 3,600 per cent. These deteriorations were the result of the initiation of the Kursk offensive by Ukrainian forces in August 2024, marking the first significant offensive taking place within Russia’s borders. Estimates vary as to the total number of Russian fatalities from the war in Ukraine, with latest estimates suggesting that over 170,000 soldiers have been killed over the past three years, with an additional 600,000 injured.21 Russia also recorded significant deteriorations on several Safety and Security indicators. There was a strong deterioration on the violent demonstrations indicator. In January 2024, a demonstration was held in the region of Bashkortostan in response to the arrest and imprisonment of a local indigenous activist. Police responded aggressively, using tear gas and batons to break up the crowd. This protest was reported as the largest since anti-war demonstrations following the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.22 The terrorism impact indicator also deteriorated over the past year, with Russia experiencing the world’s fourth most deadly terrorist attack of 2024. In March 2024, members of the terrorist group Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISK) attacked Crocus City Hall near Moscow, opening fire on civilians and detonating explosives. The attack caused a roof collapse and a fire, killing 133 and injuring 140.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) experienced the fourth largest deterioration in peacefulness on the 2025 GPI dropping three places to rank 160th. Its overall score deteriorated by 4.4 per cent, with all three domains deteriorating over the past year. The Militarisation domain experienced the largest deterioration, owing to increases on four out of the six indicators in this domain, with weapons imports recording the most significant deterioration. The decline in peacefulness in the DRC was driven by the current war between government forces and March 23 Movement (M23), a Rwandan-backed rebel group led by ethnic Tutsis. The conflict escalated significantly in 2022, following renewed clashes between M23 and Congolese armed forces, prompting accusations by the DRC and international observers of active support for M23 from neighbouring Rwanda. M23 now controls significant territory in North and South Kivu. The situation has led to severe humanitarian crises, with millions displaced internally, and regional tensions have intensified amid international efforts aimed at negotiating peace and stabilising the region. The UN estimates that there are between 3,000-4,000 Rwandan soldiers currently operating in the DRC, fighting alongside M23 rebels. The presence of foreign troops has led to a 25 per cent deterioration on the neighbouring countries relations indicator, while deaths from internal conflict also deteriorated in 2024. Just under 4,000 people were killed in violent armed conflict in the country over the past year. The high level and number of armed conflicts in the DRC has had a significant impact on several indicators on the Safety and Security domain, with refugees and IDPs, violent demonstrations, and terrorism impact all deteriorating over the past year. A report from November 2024 estimates that since 2022 nearly seven million people in the DRC have been internally displaced due to the conflict, one of the highest numbers of IDPs globally.

 Myanmar recorded the fifth largest deteriorations in peacefulness on the 2025 GPI, with its overall score deteriorating by four per cent. This deterioration marks a strong reversal from the previous year when Myanmar recorded one of the largest improvements in peacefulness in the world. Myanmar is now ranked 154th on the index and registered deteriorations in all three GPI domains. It has the lowest levels of peacefulness of any country in the Asia-Pacific region. The decline in peacefulness was largely a result of the ongoing civil war between the ruling military junta and a coalition of pro-democracy fighters and allied ethnic minority groups. The impact of this conflict is reflected in the 5.9 per cent deterioration on the Safety and Security domain, with the violent crime, refugees and IDPs, and political instability indicators all deteriorating significantly. Political stability deteriorated in the past year with the erosion of junta control and unrest over the reinstatement of forced conscription. Moreover, a series of natural disasters fuelled mass internal displacements, while political turmoil complicated relief efforts. An earthquake that struck in March 2025 has led to over 3,700 confirmed deaths and thousands more injured or missing. The disaster's impact has been exacerbated by the ongoing civil conflict, particularly in hard-hit areas like Sagaing and Mandalay. Access to affected regions has been severely restricted due to damaged infrastructure, military checkpoints, and the junta's control over aid distribution, with assistance often withheld from opposition-held territories.25 Over 5,000 civilian deaths have been reported since the 2021 coup, including 2,414 between April 2023 and June 2024 alone. In 2024, violent crime in Myanmar remained elevated due to civil unrest and armed conflict. There have been reports of government troops carrying out beheadings, gang rapes and torture against civilians.