SIPRI Says Peacekeeping Personnel Falls to Lowest Level in 25 Years in 2025

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said the number of military personnel engaged in peacekeeping operations around the world fell to the lowest in at least a quarter century in 2025, with 78,633 international personnel deployed at the end of December.

“PARIS — The number of military personnel engaged in peacekeeping operations around the world fell to the lowest in at least a quarter century in 2025, and geopolitical tension and lack of funding are jeopardizing the viability of multilateral peacekeeping, according to research by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute”

Defense News

Defense News reported that the figure was down 17% from a year earlier and down 49% from the end of 2016, as geopolitical tension and lack of funding jeopardized multilateral peacekeeping.

Defense News

SIPRI said cuts in deployed personnel were mainly caused by a funding crisis in the United Nations due to delayed or unpaid contributions from major donors, prompting an abrupt reduction on spending on peace operations.

Jaïr van der Lijn, director of the peace operations and conflict management program at SIPRI, warned, “If things continue in this way, we could see a dramatic weakening of multilateral conflict management.”

Defense News said the UN peacekeeping budget faced a shortfall of $2 billion at the start of July 2025, and the budget approved by the UN General Assembly for the 2025-2026 period was cut to $5.38 billion.

The report also said the U.S. took “significant action” in 2025 to withdraw from, defund or challenge various UN bodies, including seeking to end UN peacekeeping operations including the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, or Unifil.

Hindustan Times

Claudia Pfeifer Cruz, a senior researcher in SIPRI’s peace operations and conflict management program, said, “As UN-led conflict management recedes, it is leaving a growing gap.”

The South China Morning Post similarly framed SIPRI’s warning around funding woes, saying “Global tension and a funding crisis are jeopardising peacekeeping missions.”

Defense News reported that while the United Nations accounted for 18 operations and 67% of the deployed personnel in 2025, most peacekeeping efforts were led by regional organizations and alliances, accounting for 34 operations.

“Global tension and funding woes threaten peacekeeping missions, SIPRI warns The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said peacekeeping troop numbers have fallen to the lowest number in 25 years Geopolitical tensions and a funding crisis are jeopardising peacekeeping missions, particularly those under the auspices of the United Nations, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) warned on Monday”

South China Morning Post

SIPRI said Sub-Saharan Africa hosted 70% of deployed peacekeeping personnel last year, with the Middle East and North Africa accounting for 15% and Europe for 12%.

The South China Morning Post said nearly three-quarters of deployed staff were serving in five countries: Central African Republic, South Sudan, Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo and Lebanon.

SIPRI identified the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic, or Minusca, and the UN Mission in South Sudan, or Unmiss, as the two biggest multilateral peace operations last year.