Taiwan has been ranked the 40th most peaceful nation out of 163 countries and territories, according to the 2025 Global Peace Index (GPI), an annual measure of peace and stability published by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). The result marks a slight drop from its 2024 position (38th), highlighting the growing tensions and security challenges Taiwan faces amid a backdrop of global instability and rising conflicts.
📰 Why This Ranking Matters for Taiwan
While Taiwan maintains strong internal indicators — scoring highly across areas like political terror, low instances of homicide, and internal conflict — its precarious international status and challenging relations with its neighbors have weighed down its overall position. According to the GPI report:
- Top Scores: Political terror, internal conflicts, terrorism impacts, and low rates of incarceration.
- Lowest Score: Relations with neighboring countries (rated as “open conflict and violence”), largely due to tensions across the Taiwan Strait.
This paradox reflects a nation that is highly stable domestically but grappling with increasing external pressures from a challenging international environment.
⚔️ Contextualizing Taiwan’s Position
The GPI’s findings come as global tensions intensify. According to the IEP, 2025 has seen the highest number of active conflicts — 59 globally — since the end of World War II. Notably:
- The global trend of peace has deteriorated sharply, with rising deaths from internal and external conflicts.
- Geopolitical fragmentation has worsened, with neighbor relations deteriorating by 13% between 2008 and 2025.
Taiwan’s position at 40 reflects this trend. Despite its internal resilience, its ranking is shaped by a challenging external security environment and tensions in the Taiwan Strait, making its relatively strong placement remarkable nonetheless.
🌐 Regional Comparison
In the Asia-Pacific, the ranking showcases a strong contrast:
- New Zealand: 3rd globally (most peaceful in the region)
- Singapore: 6th
- Japan: 12th
- Malaysia: 13th
- Australia: 18th
- Mongolia: 37th
- Vietnam: 38th
- Taiwan: 40th
- South Korea: 41st
- Indonesia: 49th
- China: 98th
- India: 115th
- United States: 128th
While Taiwan outpaces many in its neighborhood, including regional powers like China and South Korea, its vulnerability in external relations and contested status affect its overall score.
📈 Why the Drop?
Taiwan’s drop from 38th to 40th can be attributed largely to:
- Increasing tensions across the Taiwan Strait.
- The rising militarization and global focus on potential conflict between Taiwan and the PRC.
- The global trend towards higher internal and external conflict levels.
🌅 Implication for Taiwan and the World
For Taiwan, this ranking is both an affirmation of its internal stability and a warning about external threats. It highlights:
- The urgent need for bolstered international diplomacy and crisis prevention.
- The importance of focusing on resilience and national defense to deter aggression.
- The role Taiwan can play as a beacon of democracy and peace despite its complex geopolitical context.
For the world, it is a reminder that even highly stable nations can be impacted by rising tensions and global fragmentation.
📊 Additional Insights Not in the Report
- Soft Power Leverage: Taiwan can use its global ranking as a symbol of resilience and democratic strength to rally international support.
- Tech Diplomacy: As a global semiconductor powerhouse, Taiwan can deepen alliances by framing peace and stability as vital to global supply chains.
- Future Outlook: Maintaining or improving its peace ranking may hinge on international efforts to mitigate cross-Strait tensions and internal policies that foster unity.
❓FAQs
What is the Global Peace Index?
The GPI is an annual measure created by the Institute for Economics and Peace that analyzes peace across nations based on 23 indicators, including internal and external conflicts, political terror, and homicide rates.
Why did Taiwan drop from 38th to 40th?
Taiwan’s slight drop is primarily due to rising tensions across the Taiwan Strait and increasing global conflicts, despite its strong internal peace metrics.
What does this ranking mean for Taiwan?
It showcases Taiwan’s internal resilience and democratic strength but also reflects its vulnerability in external relations, making crisis preparedness and international alliances vital.
How does Taiwan compare to its neighbors?
Taiwan is more peaceful than South Korea (41st) and far ahead of China (98th), highlighting its internal stability despite external tensions.
What are the biggest global threats identified in the 2025 GPI?
The biggest threats include rising external conflicts, increasing deaths from internal strife, and higher military expenditures, making global stability increasingly challenging.
