Tunisia has made a remarkable jump of 19 positions in the 2026 Global Peace Index (GPI), climbing to 77th place out of 163 countries and territories, according to the latest report from the Australian think tank Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP).
With an overall score of 1.947 out of 5, where lower scores indicate greater peacefulness, the North African nation is now the 7th most peaceful country in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and ranks 11th in Africa.
The annual GPI, which has tracked global peace trends since 2008, evaluates states based on 23 quantitative and qualitative indicators grouped into three domains: societal safety and security, the extent of ongoing domestic and international conflicts, and the degree of militarization, including military spending, armed forces personnel, and access to weapons.
Tunisia’s significant improvement was driven by an 8.1% rise in its safety and security domain, with the report noting progress or stability across all indicators.
Public perceptions of crime and violence have improved markedly: the share of people who said they did not feel safe walking alone fell from 35% to 23%, while those reporting being victims of violent crime dropped from 14% to 7%.
Africa’s peace rankings: Mauritius still on top
Across the continent, Mauritius retained its position as Africa’s most peaceful country for the 19th consecutive year, ranking 18th globally with a score of 1.586. The Indian Ocean archipelago is praised for its strong institutional stability and very low levels of internal conflict.
Behind Mauritius, the top five African nations are Equatorial Guinea (38th worldwide), Botswana (50th), Gambia (56th) and Madagascar (59th).
Morocco ranks as the most peaceful country in North Africa, placing 65th globally and 6th in Africa, followed by Sierra Leone (74th), Senegal (75th), Ghana (76th) and Tunisia (77th).
Further down the list, Algeria sits at 91st worldwide (19th in Africa), held back by a high level of militarization and certain institutional restrictions despite relative security stability.
Egypt ranks 113th, while Libya closes the regional ranking at 125th due to a persistently fragile security environment.
Global leaders: Iceland remains world’s most peaceful.
At the global level, the 2026 GPI continues to be dominated by European and Asia-Pacific nations. Iceland tops the list for another year with a score of 1.161, followed by New Zealand (1.343) and Switzerland (1.363).
The rest of the top ten is largely filled by Western and Northern Europe: Slovenia (4th), Ireland (5th), Austria (6th), Portugal (7th) and Finland (9th).
Singapore ranks 8th, while Japan completes the top ten in 10th place, rising thanks to a stable domestic environment and low crime rates.
In the Arab world, the most peaceful countries are Qatar (31st globally, score 1.676), Kuwait (49th, score 1.813), and Oman (score 1.850).
The report underscores that in a world where economic and geopolitical balances remain tightly interwoven, peace is no longer defined merely by the absence of armed conflict, it has become a key indicator of economic stability, institutional trust, and a country’s ability to attract investment and sustain growth.
