Global Peace Index 2026: Nepal Ranks 111th — Here's What Loksewa Aspirants Should Know

A major global report just ranked Nepal 111th out of 163 countries for peacefulness — the sharpest drop anywhere in South Asia. This is exactly the kind of international GK fact that shows up in Loksewa exams, so let's break it down simply.

Quick Answer

The Global Peace Index (GPI) 2026, published by the Institute for Economics & Peace, ranks Nepal 111th out of 163 countries. Nepal's peace score dropped by 9.1% compared to last year — the steepest fall of any country in South Asia. The report links this decline to the protests and political crisis Nepal went through after a 2025 social media ban, which eventually led to a prime minister's resignation. Iceland remains the world's most peaceful country, a title it has now held for 19 years in a row.

What Is the Global Peace Index?

The Global Peace Index is a yearly report that ranks countries based on how peaceful they are. It's produced by an organization called the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), and 2026 marks its 20th edition. It looks at things like ongoing conflicts, safety and security within a country, and how militarized a country is — then combines all of that into one overall score and ranking. This year's report covers 163 countries, representing almost the entire world's population (99.7%).

Why Did Nepal's Rank Drop So Much?

Nepal's peace score fell by 9.1% this year — the biggest single-year decline anywhere in South Asia. The report connects this directly to real events: in September 2025, the government banned several social media platforms. This led to large protests. Police opened fire on some of these protests, which made the situation worse and turned it into a bigger political crisis. That crisis eventually led to the resignation of the sitting prime minister. All of this together is why Nepal's peace score dropped so sharply this year.

How Nepal Compares to Its Neighbours

Here's how the South Asian countries ranked this year, from most to least peaceful:

Rank	Country
16th	Bhutan
67th	Sri Lanka
111th	Nepal
117th	Bangladesh
127th	India
152nd	Pakistan
157th	Afghanistan

A few things worth noticing here:

• Bhutan is by far the most peaceful country in the region, ranking in the global top 20.
• Sri Lanka improved the most this year, moving up to 67th place — the report credits this to economic recovery and more political stability there.
• Nepal, India, and Pakistan all got worse this year, and together they're the reason South Asia recorded the sharpest regional decline in the entire report.

The Global Picture

A few useful facts about the wider report, in case your exam asks about it beyond just Nepal:

• Iceland is the world's most peaceful country, for the 19th year running.
• The top 5 most peaceful countries this year are: Iceland, New Zealand, Switzerland, Slovenia, and Ireland.
• Russia is ranked as the least peaceful country in the world this year, for the first time — followed by Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ukraine, and Israel.
• South Asia was the worst-performing region in the entire report this year, mainly because of what happened in Nepal, India, and Pakistan.
• Global peace has now gotten worse for 12 years in a row — so this isn't just a one-year blip, it's part of a longer trend the report has been tracking.

Why This Matters for Loksewa

This kind of fact is a favourite for exam-setters for a simple reason: it combines international current affairs with something directly about Nepal, which makes it useful for both general GK sections and interview questions. You might see it asked in different ways — "What is Nepal's rank in the Global Peace Index 2026?", "Which organization publishes the Global Peace Index?", or even an interview question like "Why do you think Nepal's peace ranking dropped this year?" Understanding the actual reason behind the drop (not just the number) will help you answer any version of this question confidently.

This also connects to other topics we've covered — the ongoing civil service bill discussions and the wave of government resignations we wrote about in our civil service bill explained article are part of this same broader period of political change in Nepal.

What This Means If You're Preparing for Loksewa

1. Memorize the core facts first: Nepal's rank (111th), the total number of countries (163), the organization behind it (Institute for Economics & Peace), and the reason for the decline (2025 protests and political crisis).
2. Know at least a few neighbouring country ranks — Bhutan (16th) and India (127th) are the two most likely to be asked alongside Nepal's own rank.
3. Connect the "why" to what you already know. This report isn't a random fact — it's directly tied to Nepal's recent political history, which makes it easier to remember if you link it to the bigger picture instead of memorizing it in isolation.
4. Use flashcards for index/ranking facts like this one. Numbers and rankings are easy to mix up under exam pressure — Loksewa AI's Smart Flashcards are built specifically to help facts like this stick through short, repeated review.
5. Ask for help connecting related topics. If you're not sure how this fact fits with other current affairs you've studied, the Loksewa Guru AI chatbot can help you see the bigger picture in simple language.
6. Keep reports like this in your ongoing revision, not a one-time read. Loksewa AI's study planner can help you schedule a quick review of index/ranking-type facts every couple of weeks, since these are easy to forget if you only read them once.

Final Thought

A country's peace ranking might sound like a dry statistic, but it's really a summary of everything that happened politically and socially in that country over the past year. For Nepal, this year's number tells a real story — the 2025 protests, the crisis that followed, and the political change it led to. Remembering the number is useful, but understanding the story behind it is what will actually help you in an interview.