DR climbs positions in the 2025 Global Peace Index and consolidates as one of the most peaceful nations in the region

The Dominican Republic moved up six places in the Global Peace Index (GPI) 2025, reaching position 79 among 163 countries evaluated, according to the most recent report from the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). With a score of 1.996, the country is positioned as the third most peaceful in Central America and the Caribbean, and the fifth in Latin America, surpassing nations such as United States and Mexico.

The regional ranking is led by Canada (14), Costa Rica (54), Uruguay (48), Chile (72) and Paraguay (75), while the Dominican Republic stands out for its sustained progress, especially in indicators linked to security and the reduction of militarization.

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The report indicates that, despite a slight drop in the overall peace level of the Central American and Caribbean region (-0.7%), the Dominican Republic registered notable improvements in areas such as the perception of crime and the frequency of violent demonstrations. These factors contributed significantly to the country’s rise in the index. Globally, peace continues to deteriorate. For the sixth consecutive year, the world has become less peaceful, with a 0.36% drop in the last year. Among the main factors of the decline are the conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan, as well as the record increase in military spending, which reached 2.7 trillion dollars in 2024.

Despite the adverse international context, South America was the only region that experienced an overall improvement in the 2025 index, driven by advances in countries like Argentina and Peru. In contrast, Central America showed a mixed picture: El Salvador and Panama improved, while Mexico and the United States declined.

The IEP highlights that the key to moving towards sustainable peace lies in strengthening the so-called “Positive Peace”: a set of attitudes, institutions, and structures that promote social cohesion, good governance, and resilience in the face of crises. In this sense, Latin America faces the challenge of consolidating its progress amid increasing geopolitical fragmentation.

What does the Global Peace Index measure?

The GPI evaluates peace in 163 countries, covering 99.7% of the world’s population. It is based on 23 indicators grouped into three areas:

Social and citizen security: criminality, terrorism, violent demonstrations, political stability, internal displacements, among others. Internal and external conflicts: duration and intensity of conflicts, related deaths, and participation in wars. Militarization: military spending, size of the armed forces, arms trade, participation in peace missions. In 2025, the Dominican Republic stood out for its low level of militarization and the absence of internal or external conflicts, although it continues to show relative weaknesses in citizen security. The report data also highlights an overall improvement in the homicide rate —except in South America and Central/North America— and a significant reduction in the perception of crime, the latter being the indicator with the greatest progress in 2025. The GPI is prepared annually by the Institute for Economics and Peace, an independent think tank based in Australia, recognized for its research in peace, development, and economics.