Uruguay emerged as Latin America's safest country in the 2026 Global Peace Index, ranking 43rd globally, even as the region as a whole suffered a decline in peacefulness largely because of violence linked to organized crime syndicates.
Published by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), the index gave Uruguay a peace score of 1.754, reflecting its political stability, strong institutions and low levels of conflict. It was followed in the regional rankings by Chile, at 52nd globally, Costa Rica at 62nd and Paraguay at 64th.