Nigeria has been identified as one of the least peaceful nations globally, securing the 144th spot out of 163 countries in the December 2023 Global Peace Index (GPI) report. With a score of 2.713, Nigeria is positioned just after Israel, which is also engaged in conflicts.
This ranking comes from the 17th edition of the GPI, compiled by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). According to the IEP, the GPI is “the world’s leading measure of global peacefulness” and “presents the most comprehensive data-driven analysis to-date on trends in peace, its economic value, and how to develop peaceful societies.”
The GPI assesses 163 countries, representing 99.7 percent of the global population, using 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from reputable sources. These indicators evaluate peace across three domains: Societal Safety and Security; Ongoing Domestic and International Conflict; and Militarisation.
This year’s GPI also includes an analysis on “current conflicts and potential future conflicts, including an analysis of the likely economic impact of a Chinese blockade of Taiwan on the global economy.”
The report reveals a 0.42 percent decline in global peacefulness for the year, marking “the thirteenth deterioration in peacefulness in the last 15 years,” with 84 countries showing improvements and 79 experiencing declines.
Iceland remains the most peaceful country, a title it has held since 2008, followed by Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, and Austria. Conversely, Afghanistan ranks as the least peaceful for the eighth consecutive year, followed by Yemen, Syria, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Significant global events such as the war in Ukraine have notably affected peacefulness, with Ukraine and Russia experiencing some of the largest declines.
The GPI report highlights both improvements and deteriorations across regions and specific peace indicators, providing a comprehensive view of the evolving global landscape of peace and conflict.
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