The 2015 edition published last October, the ninth edition and the only statistical measure of its kind, ranks 162 countries based on how peaceful (or not) they are. The report suggests that globally “levels of peace remained stable over the last year” but are still lower than in 2008.
The countries in the report cover over 99% of the world’s population and are assessed using 23 indicators, each banded or normalized on a scale of 1-5. The index measures 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 militarization.
In the report, Costa Rica is ranked 129th and a score of 1.654, in the most dangerous countries in the world. The lower the rank and the higher the score, the more dangerous a country is.
In the region, our northern neighbour Nicaragua ranked 88th, Panama to the south, 98th. El Salvador ranked 40th, Honduras 46th and Guatemala 45th. Belize was not included in the ranking.
In South America, Colombia was ranked 17th, Venezuela 21st, Brazil 60th, Argentina 103rd and Chile 134th. Rounding out the Americas, Canada is 156th, the United States 69th and Mexico 19th.
By the numbers Costa Rica is pretty peaceful, the most peaceful in Central America and tops compared to other Latin American countries.
The index allows for analysis of individual geographical regions. Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan unsurprisingly are the most dangerous countries in the world.
Europe remained the most peaceful geographical region in the world with the most peaceful countries being Iceland, Denmark and Austria. Fifteen of the 20 most peaceful countries are in Europe.
In 2015 over 2014, 81 countries have become more peaceful while 78 have deteriorated.