Ghana has dropped from its previous position of 51st to 55th in the current Global Peace Index (GPI) compared to the year 2023. This is a further drop from the 2022 position of 40th.
Ghana, which previously was ranked the second most peaceful country in Sub-Saharan Africa has dropped to fourth in the latest ranking in 2024, falling behind Mauritius, Madagascar, and Botswana.
Global Peace Index Report
The Global Peace Index, now in its 18th edition, is produced by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP). The index evaluates 163 countries based on their peacefulness, encompassing 99.7% of the world’s population.
Key concerns ahead of elections
As Ghana heads toward its December 7 elections, the country’s declining peace score highlights the need for a peaceful electoral process. This is crucial for maintaining democratic stability, preventing localised conflicts, and addressing emerging threats.
How the GPI peasures Peace
The GPI assesses countries across three key domains: Societal Safety and Security; Ongoing Domestic and International Conflict and Militarization. These factors are evaluated using 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators.
Africa and global peace trends
On the broader African continent, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region remains the least peaceful globally. Four of the ten least peaceful countries in the world are located in this region, with Sudan and Yemen ranking as the two least peaceful.
Global Peace Trends
The 2024 GPI report shows a global decline in peace over the past 17 years. Political instability, rising conflict-related deaths, and violent demonstrations have contributed to this trend.
However, the report also notes a positive development—a stronger commitment to UN peacekeeping efforts, which recorded the most significant improvement among GPI indicators.
You can have the 2024 Global Peace Index full report here.
