2023 Global Peace Index: South Sudan Fourth Least Peaceful Country in the World

South Sudan is the fourth least peaceful country in the world, ranking 160 out of 163 countries on the 2023 Global Peace Index (GPI) with an overall score of 3.221 out of 5.

South Sudan scored 3.505/5 in perceived criminality in society, 2.5/5 in security officers and police, 4.487/5 in homicides, and 1.396/5 in jailed population.

Since its secession from Sudan in 2011, inter-communal conflict and abuses by security forces and armed groups continued to exact a toll on civilians. The humanitarian situation in South Sudan remains dire, with the United Nations (UN) declaring that food insecurity is the worst it has been since South Sudan’s independence. Following escalating tensions and clashes, between government forces and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition (SPLM/A-IO), President Salva Kiir and First Vice President and SPLS/A-IO leader Riek Machar, recently agreed to accelerate the integration of their forces as provided under the 2018 revitalised peace deal.

Afghanistan is ranked as least peaceful country in the world, followed by Yemen, Syria, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Russia, Ukraine, Somalia, Sudan and Iraq – the 10 least peaceful countries in the world.

Iceland is ranked the most peaceful country in the world, followed by Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, Austria, Singapore, Portugal, Slovenia, Japan and Switzerland – the 10 most peace countries in the world.

The 2023 GPI, reveals the average level of global peacefulness deteriorated for the ninth consecutive year, with 84 countries recording an improvement and 79 a deterioration. This demonstrates that the deteriorations were larger than the improvements, as the post-COVID rises of civil unrest and political instability remain high while regional and global conflicts accelerate. The war on Ukraine has the biggest impact on peacefulness in the world.

According to the 2023 GPI, the key trends are the following:

• Deaths from global conflict increased by 96% to 238,000.
• New data shows higher number of conflict deaths in Ethiopia than Ukraine, eclipsing the previous global peak during the Syrian war.
• 79 countries witnessed increased levels of conflict including Ethiopia, Myanmar, Ukraine, Israel and South Africa.
• The global economic impact of violence increased by 17% or USD1 trillion, to USD17.5 trillion in 2022, equivalent to 13% of global GDP.
• A Chinese blockade of Taiwan would cause a drop in global economic output of USD2.7 trillion, almost double the loss that occurred due to the 2008 global financial crisis
• Despite the conflict in Ukraine, 92 countries improved on military expenditure and 110 decreased their military personnel.
• Conflicts are becoming more internationalised with 91 countries now involved in some form of external conflict, up from 58 in 2008.

Produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), the GPI is the world’s leading measure of global peacefulness. This report presents the most comprehensive data-driven analysis to-date on trends in peace, its economic value, and how to develop peaceful societies. The GPI covers 163 countries comprising 99.7% of the world’s population, and is calculated using 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from highly respected sources, and measures the state of peace across three domains: the level of societal safety and security; the extent of ongoing domestic and international conflict; and the degree of militarisation.

For more information, visit www.visionofhumanity.org

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