By ESENDOM
August 31, 2025
Lea en español: República Dominicana sube 6 puestos en ranking mundial de paz mientras el mundo se deteriora
At a time when global peace is deteriorating for the sixth consecutive year, the Dominican Republic has managed to buck the trend. According to the Global Peace Index 2025, published by the Institute for Economics & Peace, the Caribbean nation climbed six spots in the rankings, moving from 85th place in 2024 to 79th in 2025.
The country’s overall score improved from 2.157 to 1.996, signaling progress in reducing homicides and improving public perceptions of crime.
A Bright Spot in a Darker World
Globally, the picture is grim. The report shows an overall 0.36% decline in peacefulness, fueled by rising geopolitical tensions, militarization, and internal conflicts across South Asia and Eastern Europe. Against this backdrop, the Dominican Republic’s upward trajectory stands out, suggesting that effective domestic policies can make a difference even in unstable times.
Regional Context: Third in the Caribbean and Central America
Regionally, the Dominican Republic is now the third most peaceful country in Central America and the Caribbean, trailing only Canada and Costa Rica.
Regional Rankings (2025):
Canada: 11th worldwide
Costa Rica: 31st
Dominican Republic: 79th (↑6 from 2024)
Panama: 84th (decline)
Trinidad & Tobago: 89th (decline)
Haiti: 141st (slight improvement, but still among the least peaceful globally)
The Dominican Republic’s rise is especially striking when compared with its neighbor Haiti, which remains one of the least peaceful nations in the world. The two countries, sharing the island of Hispaniola, rank 62 places apart—one of the widest peace gaps on any border in the Western Hemisphere.
What’s Driving the Improvement?
The Global Peace Index measures peace across three domains: ongoing conflict, societal safety, and militarization.
Societal Safety: The Dominican Republic posted improvements in public perceptions of safety, with moderate but steady declines in homicide rates.
Ongoing Conflict: While free of large-scale war, the nation still contends with violence tied to drug trafficking and transnational organized crime networks.
Militarization: Unlike other countries in the region that boosted military spending, the Dominican Republic kept levels stable. Still, growing international pressure to reinforce the Haitian border could shift that balance in the near term.
The Economic Payoff of Peace
Peace is not just a political asset—it is also an economic one. Higher peace scores often correlate with stronger foreign investment and increased tourism confidence. With tourism accounting for roughly 8% of the Dominican GDP, improved perceptions of safety could help the country strengthen its role as the Caribbean’s premier destination.
Improved stability can also lower the country’s risk premium on international debt markets, potentially saving millions in borrowing costs.
Fragile Gains, Persistent Risks
Yet the report cautions that Dominican peace remains fragile. Organized crime, fueled by its geographic role as a drug transit hub, continues to challenge authorities. Institutional weaknesses, particularly within the justice system, erode public trust. And the Haitian crisis, with its potential spillover effects on migration and border security, looms as the country’s most significant external threat.
Compared with Latin American peers like Argentina (46th), Uruguay (48th), and Chile (62nd), the Dominican Republic still lags behind in institutional strength, rule of law, and social cohesion.
Looking Ahead: Can Momentum Be Sustained?
Experts stress that the Dominican Republic’s challenge is not only to maintain its current momentum but to accelerate reforms that address the root causes of violence.
Key recommendations include:
Judicial reform to reduce impunity and strengthen accountability.
Comprehensive citizen security strategies combining policing with social investment.
Smarter regional cooperation with Haiti, balancing humanitarian commitments with national security.
Conclusion
The Dominican Republic’s six-place climb in the Global Peace Index 2025 is a rare good-news story in an increasingly violent world. But experts warn that without sustained reforms, the country risks seeing its gains evaporate as quickly as they appeared.
The true test is not whether the Dominican Republic can continue rising in the rankings, but whether it can transform this momentary success into lasting peace and stability.