Peacefulness in Asia-Pacific improved in all three GPI domains last year, largely due to increases in UN peacekeeping funding and reductions in violent demonstrations and deaths from internal conflict. However, the impact of terrorism continued to worsen, as did internal conflicts fought and external conflicts fought. China climbed two places to 110th, ahead of Algeria at 111th and behind Djibouti at 109th.
Central America and the Caribbean deteriorated in all three domains last year. Seven countries improved while five deteriorated, but as is typical of breakdowns in peacefulness, the deteriorations were larger than the improvements.
Europe, the world’s most peaceful region, became slightly more peaceful in 2018 continuing its decade-long trend. Twenty-two of 36 countries in Europe improved. Europe continues to dominate the top of the index, accounting for 17 of the 25 most peaceful countries.
Peace in the Middle East and North Africa, the world’s least peaceful region, improved marginally last year, based on improvements in 11 countries. Syria is no longer the world’s least peaceful country, and recovery has started to materialise in Iraq.
Peace in North America deteriorated last year, recording the second largest regional deterioration. Canada showed a small improvement in overall score, but the deterioration in the United States was much larger and was dragged down by increases in the homicide rate, violent crime and political instability. While Canada remains one of the ten most peaceful countries in the world, the US fell four places to 128th – in between South Africa and Saudi Arabia.
While most of Russia and Eurasia remains less peaceful than the global average, it was one of three regions to improve in every domain of the GPI last year, resulting in the largest regional improvement. Russia fell by one place to 154th, ahead of the Democratic Republic of Congo at 155th and behind Pakistan at 153rd.
Only Colombia, Uruguay and Chile improved in South America last year, while the rest of the region, another eight countries, deteriorated. Venezuela is now the least peaceful country in South America, and Brazil recorded the fifth largest fall globally.
The average South Asian score improved last year due to improvements in Nepal, Pakistan, and Bhutan. However, the region still has the second lowest rank, just ahead of its neighbour MENA.
In sub-Saharan Africa, 27 of the region’s 44 countries deteriorated in peacefulness, leading to a weakening in all three domains of the GPI, while 12 of the region’s 23 indicators improved and eight deteriorated.