Since the beginning of 2021, Ukraine’s index of peacefulness has grown the most among 136 countries: by 7.6% compared to 2020. This is reported in the annual Global Peace Index report, published by the London Institute for Economics and Peace.
The composite index, which measures the peacefulness of countries, consists of 23 quantitative and qualitative indicators, each weighted on a scale of 1-5. The lower the figure, the more peaceful the country is. Burkina Faso and Belarus, which ranked 134th and 117th, showed the worst dynamics in the ranking.
In six months, Ukraine rose to 142nd place, six steps up, receiving an overall score of 2,66. In 2020, this figure was 2,93 (148th place).
“Indicators that improved included violent crime, violent demonstrations, political instability and the intensity of internal conflict,” the document says.
The biggest improvement occurred in the Ongoing Conflict domain, which improved by just over ten percent. This improvement was primarily driven by improvements on the internal conflicts fought and the intensity of internal conflict indicators. However, relations with neighbouring countries remain strained due to ongoing conflict with Russia in the Donbas region. Russian troops performed drills near the Ukrainian border in early 2021, leading to a spike in tension in the region, before withdrawing in late April.
All in all, Iceland remains the most peaceful country in the world, a position it has held since 2008. It is joined at the top of the index by New Zealand, Denmark, Portugal, and Slovenia.