The 14th edition of the index has now been released and it found that peace levels have once again deteriorated worldwide with the average country score falling 0.34%. At the other end of the index, Afghanistan has been named the world's least peaceful country for the second year in a row, followed by Syria and Iraq. Using the Global Peace Index is a good start. According to the GPI, “Positive Peace” is the most important indicator for the future, because it measures how well global societies “respond and recover from exogenous shocks.” Unfortunately, this metric deteriorated in 2020. By Buzzrick On Nov 18, 2020. Of the top 20 countries, 13 are located in Europe. For these reasons, the number of deaths has not come down over the past few years in Afghanistan, which has seen the highest deaths from internal conflicts. Afghanistan is the least peaceful country in the world for the second year in a row, followed by Syria, Iraq, South Sudan and Yemen. Iceland is the most peaceful country in the world (again), having won the top spot every year since the GPI’s inception. Less peaceful than the global average for 19 of the GPI’s 23 indicators, the region still shows signs of improvement in some areas. Most peaceful countries considering Internal and External Conflicts. The 14th edition of the Global Peace Index ranks 163 independent countries and territories based on their levels of peacefulness. All Rights Reserved. Share. The COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, increased civil unrest, political instability, and unresolved international conflicts certainly pose many challenges to our global society. Iceland was once again named the world's most peaceful country in 2020, a position it has held since 2008. All Rights Reserved, This is a BETA experience. 0 2,478. © 2020 PAJHWOK AFGHAN NEWS. KABUL (Pajhwok): Afghanistan has retained its dubious distinction of being the least peaceful country in the world, according to the 2020 Global Peace Index.. Hopefully, we are able to come together and confront them by leveraging our technology, innovation, and communication. Syria has been the least peaceful country every year since 2014. And the least peaceful region for the past six years has been the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The MENA region deteriorated in safety and security, political instability, and the likelihood of violent demonstrations. Curious about your country? Click here to read the full Global Peace Index report. *Click below to enlarge (charted by Statista), Countries and territories ranked by peace level. (Source: The world is less peaceful today than at any time in the last decade. Out of the 163 states and territories in the index, the United States only came in 121st, the same position it had in 2019. Notably, the U.S. has one of the highest levels of per capita weapons exports in the world. You may opt-out by. The 14th edition of the Global Peace Index ranks 163 independent countries and territories based on their levels of peacefulness. © 2020 Forbes Media LLC. Slovenia. Weapons import/export indicators are also improving. I am a Statista data journalist, covering technological, societal and media topics through visual representation. I am a Statista data journalist, covering technological, societal and media topics through visual representation. In fact, I love to write about all trending topics. In the other hand, Iceland remained the world’s most peaceful country for the 12th consecutive year. Of the top 20 countries, 13 are located in Europe. 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Although 79 countries increased their military expenditures in the past year, 100 countries are less militarized than before. 10. Data journalist covering technological, societal and media topics, EY & Citi On The Importance Of Resilience And Innovation, Impact 50: Investors Seeking Profit — And Pushing For Change, Michigan Economic Development Corporation BrandVoice. Afghanistan, meanwhile, is the least peaceful country in the world. In its 15th year, the report ranked 163 countries across three domains: Safety & Security, Ongoing Conflict, and Militarization. For instance, deaths from terrorism have dropped for the fourth year in a row (the lowest in a decade) and Eurasian countries have also become safer. From Iceland to Austria, here are the top ten most (and least) peaceful countries in the world this year. Within each domain, researchers from the Institute for Economics and Peace analyzed 23 different peace indicators, including a country’s political situation, crime rate, frequency of terror attacks, number of displaced people, access to weapons, and involvement in domestic or international conflicts. The newest edition of the Global Peace Index (GPI) came out on June 10, and the results are mixed. The U.S. comes in at 121 out of 163 countries on the GPI, which isn’t much to brag about, although it moved up a spot for the first time since 2016. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region remained the world’s least peaceful region. It is joined at the top of the index by New Zealand, Austria, Portugal and Denmark. However, the region has become more militarized and less safe since 2008. Despite the signing of the Feb. 29 peace deal between the US and the Taliban, Afghanistan continues to witness attacks from the insurgent movement and other rebel outfits. Iceland was once again named the world's most peaceful country in 2020, a position it has held since 2008. But the news isn’t all bad. This year’s report also accounts for COVID-19 and ecological threats. Levels of peace around the world have now fallen 2.5% since 2008 and the index states that violence cost the global economy $14.5 trillion in purchasing power parity terms in 2019 alone, equivalent to 10.6% of economic activity or $1,909 per person. It also lags behind 57 countries in a separate COVID-19 safety ranking. Iceland is the most peaceful country in the world (again), having won the top spot every year since the GPI’s inception. Where does your homeland rank on the list? However, homicide rates have dropped in 117 countries during the same period. According to the Global Peace Index 2020, Iceland was the most peaceful country in the world with an index value of 1.078. Top 10 Most Peaceful Countries In The World 2020 Despite the rising concerns over safety and the decrease in levels of peace globally, these countries remain the safest and most peaceful countries to live in. All, except Yemen, have been ranked amongst the five least peaceful since at least 2015. It is joined at the top of the index by New Zealand, Austria, Portugal and Denmark. KABUL, according to the 2020 Global Peace Index. Which countries are the most and least peaceful? In fact, I love to write about all trending topics, illustrating patterns and trends in a quick, clear and meaningful way. Non-European countries on the list include New Zealand, Canada, Singapore, Japan, Australia, Bhutan, and Malaysia. – Vision of Humanity) The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, and Iraq are probably your least peaceful countries. The Institute for Economics and Peace’s (IEP) annual index for the current year also took into account effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It probably won’t come as a surprise to learn that civil unrest has increased again this year, while global peace continues to deteriorate. The Global Peace Index ranks peace levels using 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators across 163 independent states and territories, covering 99.7% of the global population. Whereas Europe dominates the top of the list, countries in the Middle East and Africa comprise the bottom. Overall global peacefulness is down by 0.34% over the previous year and 4% since 2008. Our work at Statista has been featured in publications including Mashable, the Wall Street Journal and Business Insider. Afghanistan’s scary situation was linked to Domestic disputes, a rising homicide rate, growing weapons imports, high numbers of refugees and a weaker commitment to UN peacekeeping funding. Afghanistan, which has consistently been included in the five bottom nations since 2015, remained the least peaceful for the second year on the trot. Read on to find out.