Global Peace Index 2024
This is the 18th edition of the Global Peace Index (GPI), which ranks 163 independent states and territories according to their level of peacefulness, covering 99.7% of the world’s population. Produced by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), the GPI is the world’s leading measure of global peacefulness. This report presents the most comprehensive data-driven analysis to-date on trends in peace, its economic value, and how to develop peaceful societies.
The GPI uses 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from highly respected sources and measures the state of peace
across three domains: the level of Societal Safety and Security; the extent of Ongoing Domestic and International
Conflict; and the degree of Militarisation. This year it introduces a new measure of global military capability that
incorporates military sophistication, technology, and battle readiness into a single measure.
The report finds that many of the conditions that precede major conflicts are higher than they have been since the
end of the Second World War. There are currently 56 active conflicts, the most since the end of Second World War,
and with fewer conflicts being resolved, either militarily or through peace agreements. The number of conflicts that
ended in a decisive victory fell from 49% in the 1970s to 9% in the 2010s, while conflicts that ended through peace agreements fell from 23% to 4% over the same period.
Conflicts are also becoming more internationalised, with 92 countries now engaged in a conflict beyond their borders, the most since the inception of the GPI in 2008, complicating negotiation processes for a lasting peace and prolonging conflicts. The internationalisation of conflict is driven by increased great power competition and the rise of middle level powers, who are becoming more active in their regions. Although the measures of militarisation had been improving for the first 16 years of the GPI, the trend has now reversed and in 2024 militarisation deteriorated in 108 countries.
The combination of these factors means that the likelihood of another major conflict is higher than at any time since the
inception of the GPI. This year’s results found that the average level of global peacefulness deteriorated by 0.56%. This is the 12th deterioration in peacefulness in the last 16 years, with 65 countries improving and 97 deteriorating in peacefulness.
This is the highest number of countries to deteriorate in peacefulness in a single year since the inception of the
index.
Iceland remains the most peaceful country in the world, a position it has held since 2008. It is joined at the top of the
index by Ireland, Austria, New Zealand, and Singapore. All of these countries other than Singapore were also ranked
among the ten most peaceful countries in the first year of the index.
Yemen is the least peaceful country in the world in the 2024 GPI, followed by Sudan, South Sudan, Afghanistan, and
Ukraine. This is the first year that Yemen has been ranked as the least peaceful country in the world, with the country
having fallen 24 places in the rankings since the inception of the index.
The gap between the most and least peaceful countries in the world is now wider than it has been at any point in
the last 16 years. Compared to 2008, the 25 most peaceful countries were one per cent more peaceful in 2024, while
the 25 least peaceful countries were 7.5% less peaceful.
The conflict in Gaza has had a very strong impact on global peacefulness, with Israel and Palestine having the first and
fourth largest deteriorations in peacefulness respectively. Ecuador, Gabon, and Haiti were the other countries with
the largest deteriorations in peacefulness.
El Salvador had the largest improvement on the index, due to [sic] very significant improvements in the homicide rate
indicator and citizens’ improved perceptions of safety over the past few years. The United Arab Emirates, Nicaragua,
and Greece also recorded significant improvements in peacefulness.
Europe is the most peaceful region in the world and is home to eight of the ten most peaceful countries. It has
been the most peaceful region every year since the start of the GPI. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region
remained the world’s least peaceful region.
North America recorded the largest average deterioration of all the regions, with significant falls in peacefulness in both
Canada and USA. However, despite this deterioration it remains the third most peaceful region globally, behind
Europe and Asia-Pacific.
Of the 23 indicators in the GPI, eight recorded improvements, 13 deteriorated, and two recorded no change. The Militarisation and Ongoing Conflict domains both deteriorated, while the Safety and Security domain
recorded a slight improvement.
The largest year-on-year deteriorations occurred on the UN peacekeeping funding, military expenditure (% of GDP),
deaths from external conflict, and external conflicts fought indicators. The deterioration on the military expenditure
(% of GDP) reflects the deterioration on the Militarisation domain more broadly.
[more / 89 pages in all]
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