Sanctions Pressure Index — month by month
8 months on recordEvery month this index has been published, each with the story behind its number: the biggest moves, the headlines that drove them, and what eased the pressure. Closed months are locked; the current month refreshes nightly. Long-run average so far: 43.0.
Every month on record
tap a month for its storyApril 2026 →
Moderate · range 57–72 · 27 days
In April 2026, the Sanctions Pressure Index averaged 63.1, reaching a peak of 72 early in the month before hitting a low…
May 2026 →
Moderate · range 58–71 · 31 days ▲ 2.0
Sanctions pressure hit its highest point of the month on May 4 after the U.S. warned China over Iranian oil sales amid a…
June 2026 →
Moderate · range 50–63 · 30 days ▼ 8.8
The Sanctions Pressure Index averaged 56.3 in June 2026, peaking at 63 on June 7 before dropping to a low of 50 on June …
July 2026 →
Stable · range 24–64 · 31 days ▼ 9.3
The Sanctions Pressure Index saw plenty of ups and downs in July 2026, averaging at 47.0 for the month. Early tension wa…
August 2026 →
Calm · range 19–46 · 31 days ▼ 17.0
In August 2026, the Sanctions Pressure Index started at its lowest point of 19 before rising throughout the month. Tensi…
September 2026 →
Calm · range 21–39 · 30 days ▼ 1.5
The Sanctions Pressure Index averaged 28.5 in September, hitting a peak of 39 on September 2 and a low of 21 on Septembe…
October 2026 →
Calm · range 20–32 · 31 days ▼ 6.0
In October 2026 the Sanctions Pressure Index averaged 22.5 (). It peaked at 32 on 2026-10-31 and touched a low of 20 on …
November 2026 →
Calm · range 30–33 · 5 days ▲ 8.9
The Sanctions Pressure Index started November 2026 at its lowest point of 30 before rising quickly. Early in the month, …
How to read this timeline
What a month card shows. The big number is the monthly average of the Sanctions Pressure Index — every day of the month added up and divided, nothing smoothed. Under it: the zone that average falls in, the lowest and highest daily score, and how the month compared with the one before.
Where this record stands. The Sanctions Pressure has been running since April 2026. Its strongest month so far was May 2026 at 65.1; its calmest was October 2026 at 22.5 — a spread of 42.6 points. Compared with its first month it is now lower by 31.7.
Why the month pages matter. An average hides the story. Each month page lists the biggest daily moves and the headlines that caused them, plus what eased the pressure. That is how you tell a one-day shock from a real shift.
Locked and open. Closed months are locked the day they end and never rewritten. The current month refreshes every night until it closes, so its card can still move.
Back to the live Sanctions Pressure Index · World Tension archive · API · CC BY 4.0