Jamaica has come out on top in the Caribbean and secured the 3rd spot in North and Central America on the 2026 Global Peace Index, trailing only Canada and Costa Rica. The ranking comes as both the region and the world saw another year of slipping peace levels.
The GPI, released yearly by the Institute for Economics & Peace, grades 163 countries using 23 indicators. These cover public safety, internal and external conflicts, and how militarized a country is.
Regional Picture
North and Central America’s overall peace score dropped by 2% compared to last year. 10 out of 14 countries in the region got worse. Jamaica earned an overall score of 1.919, placing it behind: Canada – Region’s most peaceful and 14th worldwide with 1.525 Costa Rica – 2nd in the region with 1.860
Rounding out the region’s top 5 were Trinidad and Tobago at 1.959 and Panama at 1.976.
Jamaica ranked above Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua, Cuba, El Salvador, the U.S., Mexico, and Haiti. The report blamed the regional decline mainly on a 5.5% drop in the “Ongoing Conflict” category. “Safety and Security” also weakened. “Militarisation” was the only area that saw improvement.
Global Trends
Worldwide peace fell for the 15th time in 18 years, down 0.7% from 2025. It’s now the 12th year in a row of global decline.99 countries became less peaceful, while only 62 improved. 7 out of 8 global regions saw scores worsen. Compared to 2008 when the index started, 119 countries are now less peaceful.
The report pointed to prolonged wars in Sudan, Ukraine, and Myanmar now in year 3 or 4. It also flagged rising India-Pakistan tensions after their most intense military clash since 1971.Other key findings: global military spending hit a record high for the 10th straight year, and over 117 million people remain forcibly displaced.
