While the world is going through one of the most violent and fragmented periods since World War II, with more than fifty active armed conflicts and record military spending, Argentina delivered positive news: it has become the most peaceful country in South America, rising to 46th place in the Global Peace Index (GPI), published in June 2025 by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP).
The report, which analyzes 163 countries and covers 99.7% of the world's population, warned of a global deterioration in peace for the sixth consecutive year, with an average decline of 0.36% compared to 2024. The global situation is critical: 59 active state wars, 17 countries with more than 1,000 deaths from internal violence in a single year, and accelerated militarization on every continent.
In this context, Argentina managed to improve its peace index by 3.8%, with particularly notable progress in indicators of perceived criminality, homicide rates, and violent demonstrations. The GPI highlights that, "despite the austerity measures implemented by Javier Milei's government, there were no social outbreaks or mass protests", a compelling fact that refutes the catastrophic forecasts of some opposition and media sectors.
For the seventeenth consecutive year, Iceland leads the global ranking with a score of 1.095, followed by Ireland, New Zealand, Austria, and Switzerland. At the opposite end, Russia fell to last place for the first time, displacing Afghanistan. The conflict in Ukraine, internal attacks in Kursk, and the massive use of heavy weaponry drastically worsened its position. Ukraine, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Yemen, and Syria complete the most critical spots.
The report warns that the factors that anticipate major conflicts—such as interstate tensions, militarization, and political fragmentation—are at their highest point since 1945. In the last five years, 78 countries have participated in wars outside their borders, compared to 59 in 2008. Among them are powers such as the United States, Iran, Türkiye, and France.
In a global environment that is regressing, South America stood out as the only region in the world that improved its peace levels in 2025, with an average increase of 0.59%. Eight of the eleven countries analyzed improved their scores, especially in terms of internal security and reduction of social conflicts.
