KABUL: Afghanistan has been ranked 157th out of 163 countries in the latest Positive Peace Index, placing it among the seven lowest-ranked countries globally, according to a report by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP).
Afghanistan recorded a score of 4.19 on the index, which assesses the social, political and economic conditions that help create and sustain peaceful societies. Only six countries ranked below Afghanistan – the Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen, Chad, the Central African Republic, South Sudan and Somalia.
Denmark topped the index with a score of 1.213, followed by Finland at 1.245 and Sweden at 1.280. The report found that Afghanistan was the only country in South Asia to experience an overall deterioration in Positive Peace between 2015 and 2024.
Afghanistan’s score stood at 4.055 in 2015 before rising to 4.19 in 2024, representing a 3.3 per cent deterioration in its performance on the index. The decline was largely attributed to a sharp deterioration in indicators associated with political freedom and the free flow of information.
According to the report, press freedom in Afghanistan deteriorated by 78.8 per cent, the largest decline recorded in any individual indicator among countries in the South Asian region.
The quality of information also deteriorated by 23.4 per cent, while laws supporting equality among different population groups declined by 25 per cent.
The report further recorded a 20.4 per cent deterioration in measures relating to exclusion based on socio-economic groups, while government effectiveness declined by 13.2 per cent.
Press freedom declines 45.4 percent in India
Press freedom also deteriorated in several other South Asian countries. The report recorded a 60 per cent decline in Bhutan and a 45.4 per cent decline in India.
Despite such declines in individual indicators, however, Afghanistan was the only country in the region to record an overall deterioration in its Positive Peace score during the period under review.
By contrast, South Asia as a region improved by an average of 2.9 per cent between 2015 and 2024.
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Sri Lanka recorded the largest improvement, at 6.3 per cent, followed by India at 6 per cent. Nepal improved by 4.7 per cent, Bhutan by 4.1 per cent and Bangladesh by 3.5 per cent.
The Institute for Economics and Peace said Positive Peace goes beyond the mere absence of war or conflict. It focuses on the conditions, institutions and structures that enable peaceful societies to be established and sustained.
The index assesses a range of factors, including effective government, the free flow of information, human capital, good relations with neighbouring countries, acceptance of the rights of others and low levels of corruption.
The report is based on an analysis of more than 20,000 datasets and indicators covering 163 countries, with the latest ranking drawing on data up to 2024.
The Institute for Economics and Peace is an independent non-profit organisation that also produces the Global Peace Index.
The two indices measure different aspects of peace. While the Positive Peace Index examines the social and institutional conditions that contribute to sustainable peace, the Global Peace Index assesses countries according to levels of violence, conflict and insecurity.
