Tuesday March 19th, 2024
Download SceneNow app
Copied

GPI Survey: Egypt's Peaced Off

Egypt has dropped over 30 places in the past year alone according to the rankings of the Global Peace Index, making it one of the least peaceful places on Earth.

Staff Writer

GPI Survey: Egypt's Peaced Off

Egypt is among the least peaceful countries on the planet according to the latest figures. This year's Global Peace Index ranks Egypt 143rd out of 163rd countries globally.The result marks a shocking drop from 112th place in just 12 months. The study also found that Iceland, Denmark and Austria were the most peaceful. Meanwhile, the study also awarded the dubious title of the world's least peaceful place to Syria.

The war-torn state pits Aghanistan to the bottom spot following three years of sectarian strife. Syria and Afghanistan were followed by South Sudan and Iraq in the annual poll. The survey found that Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific region all remained broadly peaceful, with most conflict emitting from the Middle East and Africa. The world's costly drift away from peace continued last year, with nations spending an estimated $9.8trn (£5.8trn) on containing and dealing with violence.

It was the seventh successive year in which the world has become a less peaceful place in the index, which considered factors including conflict, unrest, safety, security, militarisation and defence spending. The pattern reversed the previous 60-year trend towards increasingly global peacefulness following the end of the Second World War.

Steve Killelea, the institute’s founder and executive chairman, said: “Many macro factors have driven the deterioration in peace over the last seven years including the continued economic repercussions of the global financial crisis, the reverberations of the Arab Spring, and the continued spread of terrorism. As these effects are likely to continue into the near future, a strong rebound in peace is unlikely."