By Synthia Lateu
Cameroon has been ranked among the least peaceful countries in Africa. In the 2025 edition of Africa’s most peaceful countries, released by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), the country sits at the 40th position out of 50 countries evaluated. On a global scale, Cameroon is ranked 137th out of 163 countries in the 19th edition of the Global Peace Index (GPI), which remains the world’s leading measure of global peacefulness.
The report highlights that Cameroon was involved in six external conflicts in 2024, including four United Nations peacekeeping missions and two African Union missions. This heavy engagement in external conflicts significantly contributes to Cameroon’s poor performance, particularly in the areas of Ongoing Conflict and Militarisation.
The index further notes that Cameroon is part of sub-Saharan Africa, a region where levels of militarisation and internal conflicts have generally worsened. These regional trends have negatively impacted the peace scores of many countries, including Cameroon.
Beyond the mere absence of war, the Global Peace Index evaluates broader indicators of peace. These include institutional trust, the management of inequality, police transparency, respect for fundamental rights, and the capacity of the state to prevent and contain violence.
According to the report, the most peaceful country in the world in 2025 is Iceland, followed by Ireland and New Zealand. On the African continent, the ranking is led by Mauritius, Botswana, and Namibia. In contrast, countries where peace remains most elusive include Mali, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Global Peace Index uses 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators to measure the state of peace across three domains: Societal Safety and Security, Ongoing Domestic and International Conflict, and Militarisation. The index covers 163 independent states and territories, accounting for 99.7 percent of the world’s population.
