10 least peaceful African countries in 2025, according to latest ranking

Sudan ranks as the least peaceful country in Africa and the third least peaceful globally. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the average peacefulness also declined by 0.17% over the past year.

• Business Insider Africa presents the 10 least peaceful African countries in 2025, according to latest ranking.
• The list is courtesy of Global Peace Index.
• Sudan ranks as the least peaceful country in Africa and the third least peaceful globally.

The 2025 Global Peace Index (GPI) reveals that the world has become less peaceful for the 13th time in the past 17 years, with the average level of global peacefulness declining by 0.36% over the last year. This marks the sixth consecutive year of deteriorating global peace.

Although global attention has largely centred on the ongoing wars in Gaza and Ukraine, the conflict remains widespread. 78 countries saw a decline in peacefulness between the 2024 and 2025 editions of the GPI.

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A key contributor to this trend was a rise in external conflicts, with 46 countries experiencing more such conflicts than in the previous year.

The Militarisation domain also worsened, with 86 countries recording deteriorations. Notably, global military spending rose, with average military expenditure as a percentage of GDP reaching its highest level since 2010, increasing by 2.5% over the past year.

This marks a reversal from a decade-long trend of decreasing militarisation, driven by rising geopolitical tensions and escalating conflicts.

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region remains the least peaceful in the world for the tenth straight year, recording a slight decline in peacefulness of 0.17%. Four of the ten least peaceful countries globally are located in this region.

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Sudan ranks as the least peaceful country in MENA and the third least peaceful globally, following a 0.54% decline in its peace score. This deterioration was largely due to worsening conditions in indicators such as nuclear and heavy weapons, displaced populations, and internal conflicts.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, the average peacefulness also declined by 0.17% over the past year. While half of the countries in the region showed improvements, the other half experienced setbacks. The region is home to three of the world’s ten least peaceful countries, showing persistent challenges to stability.

Below are the 10 least peaceful African countries in 2025, according to latest ranking:

Rank	Country	Score	Global rank
1	Sudan	3.323	161st
2	Democratic Republic of the Congo	3.292	160th
3	South Sudan	3.117	156th
4	Mali	3.061	154th
5	Burkina Faso	3.016	152nd
6	Somalia	2.983	151st
7	Central African Republic	2.912	150th
8	Nigeria	2.869	148th
9	Niger	2.759	143rd
10	Ethiopia	2.688	138th

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