Understanding the Women, Peace and Security Index 2025/26

Understanding the Women, Peace and Security Index 2025/26

The Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Index 2025/26 presents a concerning view of women's wellbeing worldwide. While a few nations excel, most experience stagnation or a reversal of the progress made over the past three decades. For government exam aspirants and concerned readers, this index provides essential insights into global gender realities.

What is the Women, Peace and Security Index?

The WPS Index, developed by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security and the Peace Research Institute Oslo, assesses 181 countries based on women's status across three dimensions:

• Inclusion: Economic participation and education.
• Justice: Legal protection and equality.
• Security: Safety at home and in society.

Scores range from 0 to 1, with 1 indicating the highest level of gender wellbeing.

Why This Year’s Report Matters

The 2025/26 edition reveals that 676 million women faced conflict exposure last year, marking a shocking 74% increase since 2010. Overall, global progress has stagnated or declined, and even high-income countries show slow or inconsistent advancement. Interestingly, some conflict-affected nations have shown improvement, indicating resilience and potential policy reform despite crises.

Top 10 Best Performing Countries for Women (2025/26)

Nordic nations continue to dominate the rankings, with Denmark securing the top position for the third consecutive time:

• 1. Denmark - 0.939
• 2. Iceland - 0.932
• 3. Norway - 0.924
• 4. Sweden - 0.924
• 5. Finland - 0.921
• 6. Luxembourg - 0.918
• 7. Belgium - 0.912
• 8. Netherlands - 0.905
• 9. Austria - 0.898
• 10. Australia - 0.898

What Makes These Countries Perform Well?

These nations excel due to:

• High women's representation in decision-making.
• Strong legal protections.
• Safe public environments.
• High health and education outcomes.

Notably, Denmark's score is over three times higher than that of Afghanistan, the lowest-ranked country.

Top 10 Worst Countries for Women (2025/26)

Countries severely impacted by conflict, instability, or weakened governance consistently rank the lowest:

• 181. Afghanistan - 0.279
• 180. Yemen - 0.323
• 179. Central African Republic - 0.362
• 178. Syria - 0.364
• 177. Sudan - 0.397
• 176. Haiti - 0.399
• 175. DR Congo - 0.405
• 174. Burundi - 0.407
• 173. South Sudan - 0.411
• 172. Myanmar - 0.442

This highlights that nine of these ten countries are conflict-affected or fragile states, demonstrating how instability reinforces gender inequality.

Where Does India Stand?

India ranks 131st with a score of 0.607, indicating steady progress, though improvements remain uneven. Challenges persist in women's safety, political leadership, labor force participation, and legal outcomes. For competitive exams, remember: India Rank 2025/26 WPS Index: 131 / Score 0.607.

How Did the United States Perform?

The United States improved its position, rising six spots from 37th in 2023 to 31st in 2025. This improvement was primarily due to the first recorded decline in maternal mortality in 20 years, based on data through 2024. However, the U.S. still trails several European counterparts.

Regional Trends Worth Noting

• Progress in East Asia and Pacific: Countries in this region demonstrate continued improvement, reflecting stronger investment in women’s education and public safety.
• Stagnation in High-Income Nations: Even developed nations with high rankings exhibit slow or plateauing progress, raising concerns about complacency.
• Conflict Regions Showing Unexpected Gains: Some fragile states have made significant strides, proving that reform and change are possible even amid instability.

Why This Index Matters for India and the World

The WPS Index emphasizes that global gender equity is not guaranteed, even in wealthier nations. Conflict disproportionately impacts women's safety, health, and rights, underlining the need for policymakers to prioritize women-centric governance, especially in fragile regions.