Positive Peace Index: Afghanistan Ranked South Asia’s Worst-Performing Country

SYDNEY — The latest Positive Peace Report 2026 by Australia’s Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) has highlighted severe challenges facing Afghanistan in terms of peace, governance and fundamental freedoms, placing the country among the lowest-ranked nations in South Asia.

According to the think tank’s Positive Peace Index 2026, Afghanistan ranks 157th among 163 countries globally, placing it near the bottom of the overall ranking.

The report states that Afghanistan recorded a 3.3 percent decline in its overall index score and has experienced the region’s most severe deterioration in Positive Peace over the past decade.

According to the report, media and press freedom have suffered a particularly sharp decline under the current Afghan authorities, with an alleged 78.8 percent deterioration recorded in press freedom. The report places Afghanistan at the bottom of the South Asian ranking in terms of press freedom and freedom of expression.