KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has climbed nine spots in the 2024 Global Peace Index (GPI), now ranking 10th as one of the world's most peaceful countries this year.
According to the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP)'s 2024 GPI, global peacefulness declined by 0.56 per cent this year, marking the fifth consecutive year of deterioration.
Malaysia, previously ranked 19th in the 2023 GPI, has significantly improved.
In comparison to neighbouring countries, Singapore ranked fifth globally in peace, followed by Indonesia (48), Laos (49), Cambodia (70) and Thailand (75).
The report highlights Malaysia's position in the top five for peacefulness in ongoing conflicts and ranks it third in militarisation.
In addition, the Asia-Pacific region saw a minor decrease in peacefulness by 0.1per cent in the 2024 GPI, maintaining its status as the world's second most peaceful region since 2017.
Malaysia also ranked as the third-most peaceful country in the Asia-Pacific region, with New Zealand leading the list followed by Singapore, according to the 2024 Global Peace Index (GPI).
The GPI also reveals a global trend of decreasing peacefulness over the past 16 years, with the average country score declining by 4.5 per cent since the index's inception in 2008.
Iceland retained its position as the most peaceful country globally, followed by Ireland in second place, Austria in third, New Zealand in fourth, and Singapore in fifth.
Conversely, Yemen was identified as the least peaceful country worldwide, alongside Sudan (ranked 162nd), South Sudan (161st), Afghanistan (160th), and Ukraine (159th).
Out of the 163 countries ranked in the GPI, 95 showed deteriorations in peacefulness, 66 improved, and two saw no change. Seventeen of the 23 GPI indicators worsened between 2008 and 2023, while seven improved.
The GPI serves as the premier metric for global peacefulness, offering comprehensive data-driven insights into peace trends, its economic significance and strategies for fostering peaceful societies.
This year marks the 18th edition of the Global Peace Index, covering 163 independent states and territories and encompassing 99.7 per cent of the world's population.-- BERNAMA