Despite violence and conflict, the world has become a bit more peaceful for the first time since 2013. This is clear from the Global Peace Index published today in London. Each year, the study by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) assesses the situation in more than 160 countries around the world on the basis of criteria such as war, terrorism, police violence and arms exports.
IEP founder Steve Killelea does not want to talk about a trend yet. Much depends on how the situation develops in the Middle East, especially with regard to Iran. A conflict there would have a significant impact on the countries in the region.
Afghanistan in last place
According to the study, the situation stabilized last year, especially in Ukraine, Syria and Iraq. For the first time in several years, Syria is no longer the country with the least amount of peace. This place is now occupied by Afghanistan. The situation has deteriorated in Nicaragua, Turkey and Yemen.
Europe remains the most peaceful region in the world, with a decline in terrorist attacks in the past year. The number of people seeking refuge in Europe as refugees also fell. The Institute estimated the cost of violence to be around $ 14.1 trillion worldwide in 2018 (equivalent to around € 12.5 trillion).
