TC Web Desk
According to a report by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), India has reached the 135th position out of 163 countries in the 2022 Global Peace Index. This index places India in the “low” category of peace. Countries were assessed on 23 parameters, including the level of internal and international conflict, social security and militarization.
According to the report, India has seen a 1.4% improvement in overall peace over the past year, due to improvements in “ongoing conflict” areas. However, there has been an increase in the violent crime and crime perception index in the country.
A weak economy, rising political unrest in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and ongoing communal violence are other factors cited in the report behind India’s peace rating.
According to the index, Iceland is the most peaceful country in the world, having held this position since 2008. Iceland is followed by New Zealand, Ireland, Denmark and Austria. Seven of the top ten countries in the IPS are in Europe. Turkey is the only country in the region that is outside the top half of the index.
The United States ranked 129, posted its lowest peace ranking since 2008, stating that “civil unrest” remains “the main driver of the decline”. The United Kingdom rose two places to 34th place.
For the fifth year in a row, Afghanistan is the least peaceful country, followed by Yemen, Syria, Russia and South Sudan.
Among South Asian countries, Bhutan tops the peace index at 19th position. Bhutan is followed by Nepal (73), Sri Lanka (90), and Bangladesh (96). Pakistan was ranked 147 in the index.
