ASTANA — The 2024 Global Peace Index (GPI), produced by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), ranked Kazakhstan as the most peaceful country in Eurasia.
Baiterek Monument in Astana. Photo credit: shutterstock.com
The 18th edition of the GPI evaluates 163 independent states and territories on their levels of peacefulness, encompassing 99.7% of the global population. Among the region’s 12 countries, Kazakhstan achieved the most significant improvement in peacefulness. Its overall score increased by 10.8%, propelling the country up the rankings from 78th to 59th out of 163 countries.
“Kazakhstan recorded improvements on all domains, with the most significant improvements recorded on the violent demonstrations, intensity of internal conflict, nuclear and heavy weapons, and weapons imports indicators. The fall in the number of demonstrations reflects a fall in conflict risks and internal grievances over the past year,” the report reads.
However, according to the report, many of the socio-economic factors and grievances that drove unrest in 2022 remain unresolved, and the country’s deterioration on the Political Terror scale indicator suggests that these issues might resurface in the near future.
The report also highlights that the Eurasian region has experienced the most significant improvement in peace indicators compared to other regions. Despite a 0.6% increase in the region’s average peace level, it remains low, largely due to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The ranking includes 12 countries in the region. Peace improved in four—Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Moldova, and Tajikistan—while it deteriorated in eight: Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine.
Iceland remains the most peaceful country in the world, a position it held since 2008. Yemen is the least peaceful country.
IEP is an independent, non-governmental, and non-profit analytical center that draws global attention to peace as a positive, achievable, and tangible indicator of humanity’s well-being and progress.
