Global Peace Index 2014

Rank	Country
1	Iceland
2	Denmark
3	Austria
4	New Zealand
5	Switzerland
6	Finland
7	Canada
8	Japan
9	Belgium
10	Norway

Institute for Economics and Peace released Global Peace Index (GPI) 2014 in London. The GPI 2014 measured peace for 162 countries on the basis of 22 indicators. Among these 162 countries, India has been ranked 143rd. In GPI 2013, India was ranked 141st. In the GPI 2014, Syria displaced Afghanistan as the world’s least peaceful nation while Iceland maintained its status as the most peaceful country in the world. Georgia showed the largest improvement in peace levels, while South Sudan experienced the largest drop and now ranks as the third least peaceful country.

India and GPI 2014

• India is ranked 143rd out of 162 countries and has slipped two positions from 141 in 2013.

• Other South Asian countries are ranked as follows: Nepal (76), Bangladesh (98), Sri Lanka (105), Pakistan (154) and Afghanistan (161).

• China is ranked 108 on account of China increasing its military expenditure between 2012 and 2013 and due to increase in intensity of internal conflicts.

• The economic impact of containing and dealing with the consequences of India’s level of violence was estimated to cost the national economy 177 billion US dollars in 2013. The estimation is equivalent to 3.6 percent of GDP of India or 145 US dollars per person.

• India suffers chronically from international tensions and widespread internal conflict. Maoist movements are one the biggest threats to internal security of India and sporadic conflict with neighbours also threatens external security of India. In concurrence, India is ranked number 4 out of 159 countries in the Global Terrorism Index.

• If India could improve its overall levels of peace then substantially improve its economic growth rates by the dividend that would flow from the World.