The Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) published its 18^th edition of the Global Peace Index (GPI) in which it ranked 163 independent nations and territories based on their level of peacefulness while providing an analysis on peace developments across the globe. In details, the index is calculated based on 23 quantitative and qualitative indicators and evaluates the state of peace according to three main pillars, namely the level of societal safety and security, the extent of ongoing domestic and international conflict, and the degree of militarization. In this vein, the report revealed that global peace has worsened for the twelfth time during the past sixteen years. According to the report, 65 nations witnessed some progress in their GPI scores, while 97 countries saw a deterioration. More particularly, Iceland emerged as the most peaceful country in the world, a position it has held since 2008, with a global score of 1.112 and a state of peace labeled as “very high”. Ireland ranked second in the 2024 GPI (score: 1.303; state of peace: very high), followed by Austria (score: 1.313; state of peace: very high), New Zealand (score: 1.323; state of peace: very high), and Singapore (score: 1.339; state of peace: very high), only to name a few. From another standpoint, the IEP estimated the economic impact of violence on the global economy in 2023 at $19.1 trillion in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms, the equivalent of 13.5% of world GDP and $2,380 per capita. It is worth noting that the economic impact of violence takes into account the direct costs and direct costs of violence as well an economic multiplier applied to direct costs.

On a regional basis, the report indicated that the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region remained the world’s least peaceful region for the ninth year in a row, with its score deteriorating in 2024 after several years of improvement. According to the report, Kuwait was the most peaceful country in the region and occupied the 25^th place internationally (score: 1.622; state of peace: high), followed by Qatar (global rank: 29; score: 1.656; state of peace: high), Oman (global rank: 37; score: 1.761; state of peace: high), and the U.A.E. (global rank: 53; score: 1.897; state of peace: high), among others.

Locally, Lebanon ranked 134^th in the world and 13^th in the MENA region in the 2024 Global Peace Index with a global score of 2.693 and a “low” state of peace. The report estimated the economic impact of violence in Lebanon at $8.36 billion in 2023, with the economic cost of violence accounting for 6.55% of the country’s GDP.