The Institute for Economics and Peace has published the Global Peace Index (GPI), the world’s leading measure of national peacefulness. Now in its eighth year, it ranks 162 nations according to their ‘absence of violence’. This year Belarus has moved four positions up.
In general, the Index shows that the world has become less peaceful; since 2008 111 countries have deteriorated in levels of peace, while only 52 have improved.
The last year was marked by heightened tensions in Ukraine, the ongoing conflict in Syria, civil war in South Sudan and a broadening and increased intensity of terrorist activity in many countries including Afghanistan, Iraq, the Philippines and Libya. These factors have contributed to the world becoming slightly less peaceful, continuing the global slide in peacefulness which has now been in effect for the last seven years, the report says.
Iceland tops the Index again, with the ten highest ranking nations being all relatively small, stable democracies. Nordic and alpine countries are particularly well represented. Asia-Pacific is also represented at the top, with New Zealand 4th and Japan 8th.
From the 96th position (2013) Belarus has advanced to the 92nd in 2014 due to a lower crime rate. In 2012 our country was ranked 109th out of 158.
Belarus has outflanked neighbouring Ukraine (141) and Russia (153): their poor performance stems from armed conflicts and eruption of violence.
