Ghana drops to medium status on Global Peace Index

Ghana has dropped further in the 2024 Global Peace Index (GPI), ranking 55th globally, down from 51st in 2023.

This is a major decline, as the country was ranked 40th just two years ago, in 2022.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, Ghana now ranks 4th, having lost its position as the second most peaceful country in the region , falling behind Mauritius, Madagascar, and Botswana.

The decline in Ghana’s GPI ranking raises serious concerns as the political temperature of the country continues to rise ahead of a crucial Presidential and Parliamentary elections on December 7,2024.

The 18th edition of the Global Peace Index, produced by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), ranks 163 countries based on their level of peacefulness, covering 99.7% of the world’s population.

The GPI uses 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators, measuring peace across three domains: Societal Safety and Security, Ongoing Domestic and International Conflict, and Militarisation.

This year’s report introduces a new measure of global military capability, assessing military sophistication, technology, and battle readiness.

According to the report, global conditions that lead to major conflicts are at their highest since World War II, with 56 active conflicts worldwide—the most since the GPI’s inception in 2008.

The report highlights that conflicts are becoming more internationalised, with 92 countries engaged in conflicts beyond their borders, complicating peace negotiations.

Militarisation has also deteriorated globally, reversing a previously improving trend, with 108 countries experiencing a decline.

Globally, the average level of peacefulness deteriorated by 0.56% in 2024, marking the 12th deterioration in 16 years.

A total of 97 countries recorded a decline in peacefulness, the highest in a single year since the GPI began. Iceland remains the most peaceful country in the world, a position it has held since 2008, while Yemen is now the least peaceful country, followed by Sudan, South Sudan, Afghanistan, and Ukraine.

In terms of regional trends, Europe continues to be the most peaceful region, home to eight of the top ten most peaceful countries.

However, North America experienced the largest decline in peacefulness, with significant drops in both Canada and the United States.

This year’s GPI also saw the most significant year-on-year declines in indicators such as military expenditure and deaths from external conflicts, contributing to the broader deterioration in global peace.