Czechia remains one of Europe's safest havens in latest Global Peace Index

The Institute for Economics and Peace has revealed its latest Global Peace Index (GPI) for 2023, ranking the safest countries around the world.

Since its establishment in 2008, Iceland has consistently led the ranking. The Czech Republic has experienced a decline this year, dropping five places and falling out of the top ten. The study also revealed that due to the Russian invasion, Ukraine now ranks seventh from the bottom, with Russia just one spot below it.

Following Iceland, Denmark, and Ireland secured the top three positions, while Syria, Yemen, and Afghanistan were ranked at the bottom. Seven out of the top 10 most peaceful countries in the world are in Europe – Austria, Portugal, Slovenia, and Switzerland round out the list – while the United States ranked 131.

The study examines factors such as ongoing conflicts, safety and security, and militarization to assess each country's peace status. Key findings include increased global conflict deaths, the economic impact of violence, and the internationalization of conflicts.

The Czech Republic took twelfth place, out of 163 countries in the 2023 GPI, falling five spots. As the first European country in the second ten, it is considered the eighth most peaceful nation in Europe. The study doesn't mention the reasons for the decline, however, among the developed countries, Slovakia (26th) and Norway (24th) recorded an even higher drop by six places.

The composite index measures the peacefulness of countries made up of 23 indicators each weighted on a scale of 1-5. The lower the score, the more peaceful the country. The Czech Republic's global average was 1.38 overall on the GPI scale.

The annual barometer of peace and security in countries around the world reveals that global peacefulness has deteriorated for the ninth consecutive year, with more countries experiencing a decline than an improvement. This is largely attributed to a rise in civil unrest, political instability, and regional conflicts following the Covid-19 pandemic.