This is the 17th edition of the Global Peace Index (GPI), which ranks 163 independent states and territories according to their level of peacefulness. Produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), the GPI is the world’s leading measure of global peacefulness. This report presents the most comprehensive datadriven analysis to-date on trends in peace, its economic value, and how to develop peaceful societies. The GPI covers 163 countries comprising 99.7 per cent of the world’s population, using 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.
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.
10 Most Peaceful Countries in the World
Main findings:
- In the past year, 84 countries recorded an improvement, while 79 countries recorded a deterioration in peacefulness.
- The intensity of conflict was increasing around the world even prior to the start of the conflict in Ukraine. • The total number of conflict-related deaths increased by 96 per cent. Both the deaths from internal conflict and external conflicts fought indicators would have deteriorated even if Ukraine and Russia were excluded from the analysis.
- The two indicators with the largest deteriorations in 2022 were conflict-related, external conflicts fought and deaths from internal conflict, followed by political instability. The indicators with the biggest improvement were UN peacekeeping funding and military expenditure.
| RANK | COUNTRY | SCORE | PROGRESSION |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Iceland |
1.124 |
– |
|
2 |
Denmark |
1.31 |
+1 |
|
3 |
Ireland |
1.312 |
-1 |
|
4 |
New Zealand |
1.313 |
+2 |
|
5 |
Austria |
1.316 |
-1 |
|
6 |
Singapore |
1.332 |
+4 |
|
7 |
Portugal |
1.333 |
+1 |
|
8 |
Slovenia |
1.334 |
-4 |
|
9 |
Japan |
1.336 |
– |
|
10 |
Switzerland |
1.339 |
+1 |
The average level of country peacefulness deteriorated by 0.42 per cent in the 2023 Global Peace Index. This is the ninth consecutive year that global peacefulness has deteriorated. The average level of peacefulness has only improved twice year-on-year since 2008.
10 Most Peaceful Countries in Africa
Africa recorded a slight fall in peacefulness in the 2023 GPI, with the average country score deteriorating by 0.57 per cent. Of the 44 countries in the region, 21 improved in score, improvements in both the Militarisation and Safety and Security domains. The only two indicators to deteriorate were political instability and military expenditure as a percentage of GDP. Political stability deteriorated in Mauritius owing to the re-emergence of Covid-19 infections in mid-2022 and subsequent renewed restrictions that led to economic uncertainty and general public dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of the pandemic.
| RANK | COUNTRY | SCORE | WORLD RANK | PROGRESSION |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Mauritius |
1.546 |
23 |
+5 |
|
2 |
Botswana |
1.762 |
42 |
+6 |
|
3 |
Ghana |
1.799 |
51 |
-8 |
|
4 |
Senegal |
1.827 |
52 |
+4 |
|
5 |
Madagascar |
1.846 |
55 |
– |
|
6 |
Namibia |
1.859 |
56 |
+6 |
|
7 |
The Gambia |
1.888 |
59
|
-8 |
|
8 |
Zambia |
1.898 |
63 |
-4 |
|
9 |
Liberia |
1.946 |
70 |
+8 |
|
10 |
Malawi |
1.97 |
74 |
-4 |
10 Most Peaceful Arabic Countries
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) remains the least peaceful region in the world for the eighth consecutive year, despite recording consecutive improvements in peacefulness since 2020. It is home to four of the ten least peaceful countries in the world. However, MENA improved by 0.63 per cent over the past year, with significant improvements recorded on the Militarisation and Ongoing Conflict domains. The MENA region has improved in peacefulness year-on-year for the past three years.
| RANK | COUNTRY | SCORE | WORLD RANK | PROGRESSION |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Qatar |
1.524 |
21 |
+1 |
|
2 |
Kuwait |
1.669 |
35 |
+3 |
|
3 |
Oman |
1.794 |
48 |
+18 |
|
4 |
Jordan |
1.895 |
62 |
+6 |
|
5 |
United Arab Emirates |
1.979 |
75 |
+6 |
|
6 |
Tunisia |
2.01 |
81 |
+1 |
|
7 |
Morocco |
2.02 |
84 |
-1 |
|
8 |
Algeria |
2.094 |
96 |
+8 |
|
9 |
Bahrain |
2.145 |
108 |
+1 |
|
10 |
Djibouti |
2.196 |
112 |
+1 |
Download the full report: GPI 2023 Report
