According to the 18th edition of the Global Peace Index (GPI) 2024 released by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), India is ranked 116th out of 163 countries, climbing 10 positions from 2023.
- The list is topped by Iceland since 2008 followed by Ireland(2nd), Austria(3rd), New Zealand(4th), and Singapore(5th).
Note:
i.The GPI uses 23 indicators to measure the state of peace across three domains: Societal Safety and Security, Ongoing Domestic and International Conflict and Militarisation.
ii.This year it introduces a new measure of global military capability that incorporates military sophistication, technology, and battle readiness into a single measure.
Top 5 in GPI Index 2024:
| Rank | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iceland | 1.112 |
| 2 | Ireland | 1.303 |
| 3 | Austria | 1.313 |
| 4 | New Zealand | 1.323 |
| 5 | Singapore | 1.339 |
| 116 | India | 2.319 |
Key Findings:
i. The index shows that the average level of country peacefulness deteriorated by 56%. This is the fifth consecutive year that global peacefulness has deteriorated.
ii.This is the 12th decline in peace in the last 16 years, with 65 countries improving and 97 deteriorating in peacefulness. This is the highest number of countries to show a decline in peacefulness in a single year since the origin of the index.
iii.The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region remained the world’s least peaceful region with major crises in Yemen and Sudan becoming the reasons of its poor rating.
iv.North America recorded the biggest average decline of all the regions, due to rise in violent crimes in both Canada (11) and the United States of America (USA) (132).
v.Yemen (163) is now the least peaceful country, followed by Sudan (162), South Sudan (161), Afghanistan (160), and Ukraine (159).
Positive Trends :
i.Europe has been the most peaceful region in the world and is home to eight of the ten most peaceful countries since the start of the GPI.
ii.El Salvador (107) saw the largest improvement on the index, due to notable improvements in the homicide rate indicator and citizens’ improved perceptions of safety over the past few years.
iii.The United Arab Emirates(UAE), Nicaragua, and Greece also recorded a significant increase in peacefulness.
India – Overview:
i.India secured 126th rank with a score of 2.314 in 2023 whereas it has climbed 10 positions to 116th rank in 2024.
ii.India is listed on 116th rank and is far behind its neighbours Bhutan (21), Nepal (80), China (88), Bangladesh (93) and Sri Lanka (100).
ii.However, countries like Myanmar (148) and Pakistan (140) are listed behind India.
Trends in Peacefulness :
i.Military expenditure (% of GDP) recorded the largest yearly deterioration since the inception of the GPI. 86 countries increased their relative military expenditure, compared to just 50 where it decreased.
ii.Ongoing Conflict: The conflict in Gaza and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine were the primary reasons of the fall in peacefulness.
iii. Safety and Security– This area of parameter slightly improved due to decrease in violent demonstrations, terrorism impact, and homicide rates in various locations.
The Economic Impact of Violence:
i.The global economic impact of violence was USD 19.1 trillion in 2023 (USD 158 billion increase from 2022), equivalent to 13.5 % of global GDP, or USD 2,380 per person.
ii. Ukraine, Afghanistan, and North Korea incurred the highest economic cost of violence in 2023.
iii.Military and internal security expenditure accounts for over 74% of the total economic impact of violence wherein military expenditure alone accounts for 44% of the total at USD 8.4 trillion.
War in the 21st Century:
i.Technical developments and geopolitical rivalries are becoming more prominent in the rising conflicts such as usage of technologies like drones.
ii. Conflict is becoming more widespread, with more countries involving in conflicts outside their own borders. Around 92 countries were involved in an external conflict in 2022.
About the Institute for Economics and Peace(IEP):
The Institute for Economics & Peace was established in 2007 by Steve Killelea
Founder & Executive Chairman– Steve Killelea AM
Headquarters– Sydney, Australia
