Doha, Qatar: Qatar has been ranked the second most peaceful country in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and 29th globally out of 163 countries in the 18th edition of the Global Peace Index (GPI) 2024 by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP).
Kuwait tops the MENA region with a score of 1.622 and ranks 25th globally. Qatar follows with a score of 1.656, leading the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries ahead of Oman (1.761), the United Arab Emirates (1.897), Bahrain (2.072), and Saudi Arabia (2.206), ranked 53rd, 81st, 102nd, and 116th respectively.
The GPI assesses peace through 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators across three domains: Societal Safety and Security, Ongoing Domestic and International Conflict, and Militarisation.
The top ten most peaceful countries in 2024 are Iceland, Ireland, Austria, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, Portugal, Denmark, Slovenia, and Malaysia. Iceland continues to be the most peaceful country globally, a title it has held since 2008. Notably, eight of the top ten countries are in Europe, while two are in Asia.
"Europe remains the most peaceful region globally and has been the most peaceful every year since the GPI's inception. In contrast, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is the world's least peaceful region," the report stated.
The 2024 results indicate a 0.56 percent decline in global peacefulness, marking the 12th deterioration in the past 16 years, with 65 countries improving and 97 deteriorating in peacefulness. This year saw the highest number of countries experiencing a decline in peacefulness since the index began in 2008.
"The conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine were significant factors in the decline in peacefulness," the GPI added.
Yemen is ranked as the least peaceful country in the world in 2024, followed by Sudan, South Sudan, Afghanistan, and Ukraine. This is Yemen's first year as the least peaceful country, having dropped 24 places since the index started.
"The conflict in Gaza has greatly impacted global peacefulness, with Israel and Palestine experiencing the first and fourth largest declines, respectively. Ecuador, Gabon, and Haiti also saw significant drops in peacefulness," the report noted.
North America saw the largest regional decline in peacefulness, driven by increases in violent crime and perceptions of criminality in both Canada and the US.