2011 Global Peace Index released today

The world is less peaceful for the third year running. 

The 2011 Global Peace Index (GPI), released today by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), shows a decline in levels of world peace for the third consecutive year. According to the GPI, levels of peacefulness in 2011 were most impacted by the threat of terrorist attack and the likelihood of violent demonstrations.

Steve Killelea, Founder and Executive Chairman of the IEP, said, ‘The fall in this year’s index is strongly tied to conflict between citizens and their governments; nations need to look at new ways of creating security – other than through strong-arm military force.’

The decline in peacefulness has come at a high price; violence cost the global economy $8.12 trillion in 2010. Furthermore, if levels of violence were reduced by 25% internationally then the world economy would have benefited by over US$2 trillion in the last year.

Despite overall levels of peacefulness decreasing, certain areas of the 2011 GPI show a positive increase, particularly in relationships between neighbouring countries.

As the leading international measure of global peacefulness, the GPI uses 23 indicators to rank 153 countries, gauging both domestic and international conflict, safety, security and militarisation.

See the Wikiprogress Global Peace Index article for more information.

Number Crunch – 2011 Global Peace Index

·      Libya dropped 83 places on the global rank - largest ever fall in GPI history

·      Iceland comes in at number 1 as the world’s most peaceful nation, followed by New Zealand, Japan, Denmark and the Czech Republic

·      The likelihood for violent demonstrations increased in 33 nations

·      Somalia displaces Iraq as world’s least peaceful nation, ranking 153^rd

·      40% of the world’s least peaceful countries are now in Sub-Saharan Africa

For full details of the 2011 Global Peace Index, see the Vision of Humanity website.

The Wikiprogress Community Portal will have a special focus on a round up of media coverage given to the GPI.

Philippa Lysaght