The Gloval Peace Index is the study of various elements affecting peace in the world’s 162 countries. The 2015 report reveals that the world is becoming increasingly less peaceful, it is also more divided with the gap between the most and the least peaceful countries getting wider. The report is the work of the Institute for Economics and Peace.
Azerbaijan ranks 132nd on the Index.
Some of the highlights of the report include:
- Since last year, 81 countries have become more peaceful, while 78 have deteriorated.
- Many countries in Europe, the world’s most peaceful region, have reached historically high levels of peace. 15 of the 20 most peaceful countries are in Europe.
- Due to an increase in civil unrest and terrorist activity, the Middle East and North Africa is now the world’s least peaceful region for the first time since the Index began.
- Globally the intensity of internal armed conflict has increased dramatically, with the number of people killed in conflicts rising over 3.5 times from 49,000 in 2010 to 180,000 in 2014.
- The economic impact of violence reached a total of US$14.3 trillion or 13.4% of global GDP last year.
The most peaceful countries according to the report are Iceland, Denmark and Austria while Syria remains the world’s least peaceful country. Iraq and Afghanistan follow suit ranking 161 and 160 respectively.