Although the Dominican Republic is primarily associated with tropical vacations, in practice it stands out for something else – safety. According to the latest Global Peace Index 2025 report, the country is climbing in the global peace ranking and surpassing many significantly more developed nations.
Dominican Republic Increasingly Safe – Global Peace Index 2025 Report
While the world increasingly resembles a powder keg, the Dominican Republic shows that things can be different. Ranking 79th out of 163 evaluated countries, the nation is now one of the safest in the entire Western Hemisphere – right behind countries such as Canada, Chile, and Costa Rica. It surpasses not only the United States, but also many countries in Asia and Africa – from Thailand, through Egypt, to India and Mexico. And that is truly something, especially when we look at what is happening in the Latin American region, where crime, political instability, and internal conflicts are commonplace.
The Dominican Republic not only resists this trend, but actually goes against the current. Compared to last year, it jumped six positions higher in the global ranking, achieving a score of 1.996, which is significantly better than the regional average. It performs particularly well in categories related to militarization (31st place globally) and the absence of conflicts – both internal and international. Of course, not everything is perfect – for example, in the area of safety and security, the Dominican Republic still has much to catch up on (101st place), but experts note a positive trend: crime is decreasing, the number of homicides is declining, and all of this translates into a real increase in the level of peace.
The comparison with Poland, which ranks 36th in the same report, is also interesting. Although higher than the Dominican Republic, Poland experienced a decline compared to the previous year – mainly due to increased political tensions and higher military spending related to the war in Ukraine. In this way, these two very different countries become examples of completely different paths – Poland with strong institutions but under pressure from the war on its eastern border, and the Dominican Republic, which despite regional difficulties is building stability. Other findings from the report:
- The Dominican Republic is now the second safest country in the Central America and Caribbean region, second only to Costa Rica (54th place).
- It surpasses, among others, Panama (84th), Jamaica (93rd), and Cuba (102nd), countries that recorded deteriorating results due to increased crime and weak state institutions.
- Overall, the Central and North America region experienced a deterioration in the level of peace by approximately 0.7%. The Dominican Republic stands out significantly compared to its neighbors.
How Was the Global Peace Index 2025 Research Conducted?
However, it is important to understand what this level of peace actually means and where it comes from. The Global Peace Index is not a ranking based on guesswork, but a solid analysis based on hard data that is collected and processed according to a clearly defined methodology.
1. Three Pillars of Assessment
The entire index is based on 23 indicators that are grouped into three main areas:
- internal and international conflicts – this examines the number and intensity of conflicts, as well as fatalities;
- safety and security – assesses the level of crime, number of homicides, access to firearms, and the level of violence against citizens;
- militarization – factors such as military spending, number of soldiers, and the scale of arms trade are considered.
2. Where Does This Data Come From?
Everything included in the report comes from recognized international sources. These include:
- Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP) – data on armed conflicts.
- UNHCR and IDMC – statistics on refugees and internally displaced persons.
- Gallup World Poll – how people perceive crime in their country.
- SIPRI and IISS – hard data on military spending and arms transfers.
- Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) – assessment of political stability and security situation.
3. How Does the Assessment Work?
Each indicator is rated on a scale from 1 to 5:
- 1 – very peaceful, low level of threat.
- 5 – very turbulent, high level of threat.
These values are then averaged within each of the three areas, and based on them, the final score for a given country is calculated.
4. What Matters More?
Not all indicators carry the same weight. Safety and security has the greatest significance – accounting for 60% of the entire assessment. The remaining 40% is shared between conflicts and militarization. The intensity of internal or international conflict is, after all, more significant (higher weight) than the number of soldiers per 100,000 inhabitants.
5. Who Oversees This?
The entire process is supervised by an independent panel of international experts – from economists to security specialists. They ensure that the methodology is reliable and the data transparent and credible. Thanks to this, GPI is not just a ranking, but a real snapshot of the state of security and peace in the world – with all its complexity.
It turns out, therefore, that the Dominican Republic is a safe country – contrary to narratives created by the media. However, we refer you to the article: Is the Dominican Republic a Safe Country to Live In?
Also review the full Global Peace Index 2025 report.
