According to the 17th edition of the Global Peace Index 2023 released by international think-tank, the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), India has ranked at 126th position by climbing nine positions from 2022. The list is topped by Iceland.
- The ranking, which is based on 23 indicators grouped into three criteria (societal safety and security; extent of ongoing domestic and international conflict; and degree of militarization), shows 84 countries recording improvement and 79 showing deterioration.
Key Findings:
i. The 2023 Global Peace Index, which measures peace in 163 countries, found that violence costs the world USD17.5 trillion in purchasing-power parity (PPP) terms, or 12.9% of total global GDP. This means that each person on the planet is losing out on USD 2,200 in economic output because of violence.
ii. The index also found that the level of global peacefulness has decreased for the 13th time in the past 15 years. This is due to a number of factors, including political instability, unresolved internal conflicts, and an increase in violent crime.
Positive Trends:
i. The report found that the largest improvements in peacefulness occurred in North America and the Middle East and North Africa region. North America’s improvement was mainly driven by Canada, which this year gained two positions to 11th place in the index.
ii. Western Europe remains the world’s most peaceful region overall, with six placing among the top ten countries, including the number one slot.
- Europe’s strength arises from its relatively low in internal conflict and political instability and high socio economic development, buoyed by longstanding efforts to develop peaceful societies at home.
Peaceful societies are more prosperous and stable, much is required to sustain them. The report warns that individuals have become more inflexible and politically polarised and less tolerant of dissenting views. This is a troubling trend that could lead to further violence and instability in the years to come.
| Rank | Country |
|---|---|
| 1 | Iceland |
| 2 | Denmark |
| 3 | Ireland |
| 4 | New Zealand |
| 5 | Austria |
| 126 | India |
Note: Iceland remains the most peaceful country in the world, a position it has held since 2008
The bottom five countries are – Democratic Republic of the Congo (159), South Sudan (160), Syria (161), Yemen (162), and Afghanistan(163)
India’s position with respect to year 2022
India held the 135th position in 2022 with a score of 2.578, whereas in the current year it has improved to the 126th rank with a score of 2.314.
India’s position with respect to neighbours:
- India is listed as the 126th country on the list which is far behind few of her neighbours such as Bhutan (17), Maldives (23), Nepal (79), China (80), Bangladesh (88), Sri Lanka (107).
- Countries like Myanmar (145) & Pakistan (146) are listed behind India.
