According to the 2024 Global Peace Index (GPI) report global peacefulness continues to deteriorate.
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Sadly, 97 countries became less peaceful—the highest number recorded since the GPI began in 2008.
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The gap between the most peaceful and least peaceful countries is now wider than at any point in the last 16 years.
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Compared to 2008, the 25 least peaceful countries are 7.5% less peaceful, while the most peaceful have seen only marginal improvement.
These trends suggest that instability is broadening rather than confined to a few regions.
Climate Change as a Risk Multiplier
The 2024 GPI reinforces that climate change is now a major indirect driver of instability. Extreme weather events, water scarcity, rising sea levels, and other climate-related stresses can weaken institutions, strain resources, and heighten tensions, especially in regions already facing social or political pressure.
Rather than acting as isolated challenges, climate stress and conflict increasingly reinforce each other, reducing peacefulness and placing added strain on communities.
Forced Displacement at Record Levels
Findings from the UNHCR’s 2024 report, “No Escape: On the Frontlines of Climate Change, Conflict and Forced Displacement,” highlight the growing overlap between climate events, violence, and human displacement. As of 2025:
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More than 122 million people worldwide are forcibly displaced; the highest number ever recorded.
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Many displaced populations are located in climate hotspots where they lack the resources to cope with worsening environmental shocks.
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Climate events are increasingly acting as triggers or accelerators in regions already vulnerable to conflict.
This shows that climate impacts are no longer distant environmental concerns; they are shaping human security today.
The Economic Cost of Violence
The economic impact of violence in 2024 is estimated at USD 19.97 trillion, or about11.6% of global GDP. Despite this enormous burden, spending on peace-building and peace-keeping remains less than 0.6% of global military expenditures, highlighting a significant imbalance between prevention and response.
Food Insecurity and Instability
Food insecurity continues to be both a consequence and driver of instability. Nearly 300 million people faced acute hunger in 2024. Rising food costs, climate-related crop failures, and conflict-affected supply chains are converging, leaving millions unsure where their next meal will come from.
As food systems come under strain, the risk of unrest and social tension increases; adding another layer to an already fragile global landscape.
A Closing Window for Stability
The latest evidence points to a world facing more conflict, more displacement, and more climate-related stress than at any time in recent history. While some countries show improvements in peacefulness, the overall global trend remains deeply concerning.
These findings underscore our starting point: climate change is indirectly increasing conflict and human insecurity by intensifying displacement and resource pressures; an urgent and worrying global trend.