The Global Peace Index, updated in June, has named Uzbekistan the safest country in Central Asia. Experts sharply upgraded the country’s score, allowing it to overtake Kazakhstan, which led the region in the 2025 Index.
The ranking is compiled by the Institute for Economics and Peace, an independent international think tank headquartered in Australia.
The index assesses peace in 163 countries across three main domains: ongoing domestic and international conflict, societal safety and security, and militarization. It uses 23 indicators, including relations with neighboring countries, the share of refugees in the population, political instability and public order, crime statistics, the number of security personnel, military expenditure, and other factors. Countries are scored on a five-point scale: the lower the score, the higher the ranking.
Uzbekistan ranked 37th in the new index, with a score of 1.728 points. Compared with the previous index, the country rose by 10 places.
Kazakhstan, last year’s regional leader, ranked second among Central Asian countries. Globally, it placed 44th, with a score of 1.771 points.
Tajikistan followed close behind, ranking 47th with 1.799 points. However, it recorded the sharpest decline in the region, falling six places.
Kyrgyzstan improved by eight positions but ranked only 61st, with a score of 1.865.
Turkmenistan was ranked the least safe of the post-Soviet Central Asian republics, placing 66th globally with a score of 1.903 points.
In the 2025 ranking, Kazakhstan led Central Asia, ranking 56th globally. Uzbekistan was 67th, Kyrgyzstan 78th, Tajikistan 79th, and Turkmenistan 87th.
There were no surprises at the top of the updated list, where island nations and European countries traditionally dominate. Iceland retained first place for the second consecutive year, with a score of 1.161 points. It was followed in the top five by New Zealand, Switzerland, Slovenia, and Ireland.
The bottom of the ranking also remained unchanged. Russia ranked 163rd with a score of 3.367 points after launching its war against Ukraine in 2022 and continuing military operations on its neighbor’s territory. Other countries near the bottom include states affected by armed conflict or political instability, including Syria, Afghanistan, Israel, Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Sudan.
