The State Of Global Peace In 2020 [Infographic]

The Global Peace Index ranks peace levels using 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators across 163 independent states and territories, covering 99.7% of the global population. The 14th edition of the index has now been released and it found that peace levels have once again deteriorated worldwide with the average country score falling 0.34%. 2020 marks the ninth worsening of global peace levels in the last 12 years with 81 countries improving their scores and 80 experiencing a deterioration. Levels of peace around the world have now fallen 2.5% since 2008 and the index states that violence cost the global economy $14.5 trillion in purchasing power parity terms in 2019 alone, equivalent to 10.6% of economic activity or $1,909 per person.

The index states that conflicts and crises that emerged in the past decade have started to abate but they have been replaced by a wave of tension and uncertainty due to the spread of COVID-19. Iceland was once again named the world’s most peaceful country in 2020, a position it has held since 2008. It is joined at the top of the index by New Zealand, Austria, Portugal and Denmark. At the other end of the index, Afghanistan has been named the world’s least peaceful country for the second year in a row, followed by Syria and Iraq. Out of the 163 states and territories in the index, the United States only came in 121st, the same position it had in 2019.

*Click below to enlarge (charted by Statista)