In June 2015, the Institue for Economics and Peace published its ninth edition of the Global Peace Index (GPI), which ranks the nations of the world according to their level of peacefulness. The index is composed of 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from respected sources and ranks 162 independent states, covering 99.6 per cent of the world’s population. The index gauges global peace using three broad themes: the level of safety and security in society, the extent of domestic and international conflict and the degree of militarisation.

„Iceland is the most peaceful country, with the ten highest ranking nations in the GPI all being stable democracies. Nordic and Alpine countries are particularly well represented. Asia-Pacific is also represented at the top, with New Zealand ranked 4th, Japan at 8th and Australia at 9th...“

„...The economic impact of violence on the global economy in 2014 was substantial and is estimated at US$14.3 trillion or 13.4 per cent of world GDP. This is equivalent to the combined economies of Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom. Since 2008, the total economic impact on global GDP has increased by 15.3 per cent, from US$12.4 trillion to US$14.3 trillion.“

The Czech Republic ranked 10th in the 2015 GPI, compared with 11th place in the 2014 GPI. Poland ranked 19th, Hungary 22nd and Slovakia 23rd. Direct violence containment costs as a percentage of GDP for the Czech Republic were 3% of GDP, compared with 2% in Iceland (the lowest ratio) and 42% in Syria (the highest ratio).

Click here to view the report. Read also the Institute for Economics and Peace 2015 issue of Peace and Corruption.