According to the Global Peace Index 2021, Ghana was the most peaceful country in West Africa with an index value of 1.715.
The West African nation is also ranked second most peaceful in Africa and 38th most peaceful in the World.
The 2021 Global Peace Index indicates Iceland, New Zealand, Denmark, Portugal, and Slovenia to be the most peaceful countries, and Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, South Sudan, and Iraq to be the least peaceful. Long-term findings of the 2017 Index include a less peaceful world over the past decade, a 2.14 per cent deterioration in the global level of peace in the past decade, growing inequality in peace between the most and least peaceful countries, a long-term reduction in the GPI Militarization domain, and a widening impact of terrorism, with historically high numbers of people killed in terrorist incidents over the past 10 years.
The main findings of the 2017 Global Peace Index are:
- The overall score for the 2017 GPI improved slightly this year due to gains in six of the nine geographical regions represented. More countries improved their levels of peacefulness than deteriorated: 93 compared to 68.
- Peace-building activities can be highly cost-effective, providing cost savings 16 times the cost of the intervention.
- The global economic impact of violence was $14.3 trillion PPP in 2016, equivalent to 12.6 per cent of global GDP, or $1,953 per person.
- In Low-Peace environments, the most important factors are related to Well-Functioning Government, Low Levels of Corruption, Acceptance of the Rights of Others and Good Relations with Neighbours.
- Due to armed conflict in MENA, many related indicators such as deaths from internal conflict, number of refugees and IDPs, and organized internal conflict are at high levels.
- Safety and Security improved due to many countries recording a lower homicide rate and lower levels of political terror.
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