Malaysia has retained its position among the more peaceful countries in the Asia-Pacific region in the Global Peace Index 2026, although its overall score showed a slight deterioration, according to the Institute for Economics and Peace.
Malaysia ranked fourth in the Asia-Pacific region with an overall score of 1.513, behind New Zealand, Singapore and Japan. However, its score worsened by 0.009 compared with the previous year, placing it 12th globally.
The report showed that the Asia-Pacific region as a whole recorded a deterioration in peacefulness over the past year, with 12 of 19 countries in the region experiencing declines. The regional average weakened by 0.9%, driven mainly by rising pressures in ongoing conflict and safety and security indicators.
Despite this, the region remained the second most peaceful globally after Western and Central Europe, maintaining its position in the global ranking hierarchy.
Regionally, New Zealand continued to top the list as the most peaceful country in Asia-Pacific, while Myanmar remained the least peaceful, reflecting ongoing internal conflict. Other notable shifts included China and Cambodia recording the largest deteriorations in the region, while Papua New Guinea posted the strongest improvement.
Malaysia’s relatively stable position places it ahead of larger regional peers such as Australia, Indonesia and Thailand, underscoring its continued strength in safety and security metrics despite marginal softening in its overall peace score.
The Global Peace Index noted that regional declines were largely driven by worsening conditions in ongoing conflict domains and slight deteriorations in safety and security across several countries, even as some nations saw improvements in militarisation indicators.
