Global Peace Index 2019
Global Peace Index 2019 by the Australian think tank Institute for Economics & Peace ranks countries on their level of peacefulness based on three thematic domains:
- Level of societal safety and security.
- Extent of ongoing domestic and international conflict.
- Degree of militarisation.
Findings of the Index
- Iceland remains the most peaceful country in the world followed by New Zealand, Austria, Portugal, and Denmark.
- Iceland has held the top position since 2008.
- Afghanistan has been designated as the least peaceful country in the world, replacing Syria, which is now the second least peaceful.
- South Sudan, Yemen, and Iraq comprise the remaining five least peaceful countries.
- Bhutan topped the index in South Asia with 15th rank, followed by Sri Lanka 72, Nepal 76 and Bangladesh 101.
- India’s rank has slipped five places to 141 and Pakistan ranks 153rd on the index.
- South Asia’s score across every indicator in the ongoing conflict is less peaceful than the global average
- India has the 7th highest overall natural hazard score and is among the Philippines, Japan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, Indonesia, Vietnam and Pakistan with the highest risk of multiple climate hazards.
- Countries with the largest total military expenditure were India, the US, China, Saudi Arabia, and Russia.
- Even though the global peacefulness improved for the first time in five years, as per the index findings, the world remains less peaceful than a decade ago.
The Global Peace Index 2019 has ranked 163 countries covering 99.7 per cent of the world’s population across 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators.
