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London, June 9, 2026 – The 2026 Global Peace Index (GPI), released today by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), reveals a world struggling with the economic consequences of a record-high number of conflicts that are increasingly interconnected and difficult to resolve. This deterioration is driven by a profound geopolitical shift, characterised by the rising influence of middle powers and the waning strength of traditional European powers known as the “Great Fragmentation.” This is also accompanied by a rapid technological revolution in warfare that is leaving international law and diplomacy far behind.
For the first time in history, machines are making life-and-death combat decisions faster than any human can review them, and the international frameworks meant to govern them barely exist.
Key results • 99 countries witnessed a deterioration in peacefulness in the past year, the highest number since the inception of the Index 20 years ago.
• 119 countries, 73%, are now less peaceful than when the GPI was first published in 2007. • The number of countries engaged in external conflict has nearly doubled from 59 in 2008 to 103 in the 2026 GPI.
• The global economic impact of violence increased by 3.2% to US$21.81 trillion in 2025, equivalent to 10.5% of global GDP.
• Drone attacks rose by over 11,500% between 2018 and 2025, while AI has compressed targeting times from one day to seconds.
• Deaths from global conflict remain at historic highs, with over 181,000 killed in 2025, a six-fold increase since 2008. • Led by Europe, global military expenditure reached a record US$2.9 trillion in 2025. Excluding the US, military expenditure increased by 9.2%.
• Successful diplomacy that prevents the war in Iran from restarting would be worth approximately US$2.2 trillion to the global economy.
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