Rwanda rose four positions from last year according to the latest Global Peace Index (GPI), ranking 81st out of 163 countries studied worldwide, with an overall score of 2,049.
The rise also makes Rwanda, from the 17th position in the previous report, the fourteenth most peaceful country in Africa.
GPI is a peace metric developed by the IEP, a global think tank dedicated to evaluating peace and quantifying its economic benefits.
The index defines peace as being the harmony achieved through the absence of violence or fear of violence.
It uses qualitative and quantitative indicators in three main areas: ongoing conflict, security and security, and militarization.
The 2020 GPI released Wednesday, June 10th revealed that Rwanda, with a score of 1.6, ranked 34th globally, performed best in militarization over the three domains.
This domain includes , among other things, various indicators such as military spending, arms imports and the rate of armed forces.
The economic cost of peace in Rwanda amounted to $1.4 billion or 5 percent of its GDP, according to the study.
Rwanda is regionally the second most peaceful country after Tanzania that has maintained top position since 2008.
This is followed by Uganda , Kenya and Burundi.
In the world’s nine least stable nations, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia and South Sudan came in.
Mauritius is the continent’s most peaceful country, and the 23rd worldwide, followed by Botswana, Ghana and Zambia.
Sub-Saharan Africa has seen a slight decline in the index as a result of post-election disputes and demand for political change, the report states.
The sub-region also saw an increase in civil unrest of 800 per cent, from 32 riots and protests in 2011 to 292 in 2018.
Iceland leads the world rankings worldwide, a position it has held since 2008.
New Zealand, Austria, Portugal, and Denmark join in at the top. Afghanistan remains the least peaceful region, a two-year position it has held, followed by Syria , Iraq and South Sudan.
The 2019 economic cost of conflict plummeted to $14.5 trillion, which is equal to 10.6 per cent of the world ‘s GDP.
GPI 2020 shows the world is less peaceful now than it was in 2008. Over the last decade global peacefulness has fallen.
Since 2011, civil unrest has doubled, writing a sustained rise that is set to worsen with COVID-19 taking hold of its economic impact.
The IEP says the economic downturn as a result of the pandemic pause poses a major challenge to stability. Many African countries are predicted to face famine, causing increased tension in vulnerable populations.
However, the report notes that countries capable of maintaining peace are more resilient in absorbing, adapting and recovering from shocks such as COVID-19 and the subsequent recession.
