MBABANE — Eswatini has slipped five places on the global stage, ranking 104th out of 163 nations in the newly released 2026 Global Peace Index (GPI).
The annual report, published by the Institute for Economics and Peace, measures a nation’s peacefulness across three core domains, including societal safety and security, ongoing domestic and international conflict, and the degree of militarisation.
The index operates on a scale from one to five, where a lower score denotes a higher state of national peacefulness. For example, a country with 1.301 is considered more peaceful than a country with a score of 2.301.
In the 2025 report, Eswatini recorded a peace score of 2.094, breaking into the top one hundred countries. In the latest 2026 data, the Kingdom’s score adjusted fractionally to 2.095, representing a statistical plateau. This marginal change indicates that Eswatini's domestic security environment has not actively deteriorated over the past 12 months. Instead, the five-place drop is a case of relative decline, meaning mid-tier nations surrounding Eswatini on the leader board managed to implement structural reforms or improve civic metrics, effectively leapfrogging the country.
Noteworthy, Eswatini has just recovered from a multi-year trend of rising domestic tensions that peaked around 2021.
In 2024, Eswatini's score hit a volatile high of 2.209, dragging its global ranking down toward the 109th mark during a period characterised by intense domestic friction and heightened security measures. However, this changed in 2025 with a significant breakthrough, representing a cooling of civil unrest and a stabilisation of daily life.
The fact that the 2026 score has held firm proves that the country has successfully locked in those gains, preventing a return to severe instability. However, the plateau suggests that the immediate benefits of basic de-escalation have run their course, leaving deeper structural issues unaddressed.
Within the Sub-Saharan African region, Eswatini occupies a highly competitive middle tier, currently sitting at 20th overall in regional peacefulness. Sub-Saharan Africa has 48 countries, meaning that Eswatini is ahead of 28 countries.
Also, the Southern African Development Community presents a starkly mixed bag of results, placing Eswatini in a unique geographic position compared to its neighbours. Benchmarks like Botswana and Namibia continue to lead the region, driven by exceptionally high institutional trust, healthy social safety nets, and open channels for civic expression.
On the other hand, South Africa (SA) consistently ranks significantly lower than Eswatini on the global index. Despite its economic dominance, SA is heavily penalised by the index due to severe systemic metrics, including high homicide rates, pervasive violent crime, and frequent violent demonstrations.
As a result, Eswatini comfortably outperforms SA in terms of day-to-day personal safety, yet it remains anchored to the lower-middle tier globally due to different institutional friction points.
International data analysts point out that Eswatini's inability to push its score significantly lower stems from unresolved internal dynamics. While the country enjoys, was noted thatlow levels of external threat and minimal military spending penalties, its scores are weighed down primarily by the societal safety and security domain.
… Economist suggests shifts from security investment
MBABANE – Eswatini may need to redirect some of its resources from traditional security measures towards social development initiatives if it hopes to improve its peace ranking and strengthen long-term economic growth.
This is a suggestion by to economist and University of Eswatini (UNESWA) lecturer Sanele Sibiya.
Sibiya's comments follow the release of the 2026 Global Peace Index (GPI), which showed Eswatini dropping five places to 104th position out of 163 countries despite recording a largely unchanged peace score.
While the country remains more peaceful than some of its regional peers, Sibiya stated that the factors weighing on Eswatini's ranking are increasingly linked to social and economic conditions rather than conventional security concerns.
"In relation to this question we have to zero in on the factors that are an Achilles heel on the country's peace rating," said Sibiya. Societal safety and security being persistent unemployment and inequality. That is where we need concerted efforts as a kingdom to improve the dignity of our people and improve our GPI.
According to Sibiya, improving peace outcomes may require a reassessment of how resources are allocated, with greater emphasis placed on initiatives that promote social cohesion, reduce poverty and create employment opportunities.
"This may require a realignment of resource allocation from direct security apparatus into these soft, cohesion-building peace initiatives that will unlock economic growth," he said.
The lecturer said the country's unchanged peace score should not be mistaken for progress. While Eswatini's score has stabilised since the heightened tensions experienced during the 2021 unrest, other countries have moved faster in implementing reforms and improving their peace indicators.
"The crux of the matter is there is nothing like standing still because time always surges forward," he said.
He said the decline in ranking sends a signal to investors and international markets that Eswatini may be lagging behind competitors in terms of reform momentum.
"This means the security and peace premium of doing business in Eswatini is higher in the eyes of investors and sovereign credit rating agencies," Sibiya said. "In a rising tide, standing still is a net loss."
Sibiya noted that although Eswatini continues to compare favourably with South Africa on personal safety and crime-related concerns, it faces increasing competition from countries such as Botswana and Namibia, which rank higher on the peace index.
He said investors consider not only crime levels but also the overall cost of production, institutional efficiency and governance when deciding where to place capital.
"Our lower ranking compared to Botswana and Namibia makes our security premium relatively higher compared to those countries," he said. "We are becoming the more expensive capital destination."
The economist further argued that unemployment and inequality remain among the most significant threats to long-term stability and economic progress.
He said unresolved social challenges continue to affect investor perceptions and contribute to the lingering effects of the 2021 unrest.
"Businesses have not forgotten that we once had periods of instability and the unemployment issue and other societal misgivings still linger in the nation," he said.
According to Sibiya, evidence of the lasting impact can be seen in the increased security measures adopted by businesses since 2021. Shopping centres, office parks and commercial properties now operate with higher security costs, which ultimately raise the cost of doing business.
He said these additional expenses are passed on through the economy, reducing competitiveness and making it more difficult to attract investment and create jobs.
Sibiya believes the solution lies in tackling the root causes of social instability rather than focusing exclusively on security responses.
"Solve the health crisis, recalibrate the economy to create jobs and pull our people out of poverty and maybe markets will also recalibrate," he said.
He added that strengthening social safety nets, improving economic opportunities and addressing inequality would not only improve Eswatini's peace indicators but also help restore investor confidence and support sustainable economic growth.
University of Eswatini Lecturer Sanele Sibiya. (Courteys pics)