DOHA, 21 June — Qatar moved up two places on the 2021 Global Peace Index to become the 29th most peaceful country in the world while ranking first in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Kuwait ranked second most peaceful in the region and 36th globally, followed by the United Arab Emirates (52), and Oman (73).
According to the index, Iceland, New Zealand, Denmark, Portugal, and Slovenia were the top five ranked most peaceful countries.
It also reported that 87 countries were more peaceful this year than in 2020, while 73 countries were less peaceful in 2021 than 2020.
The number of weapons imports per capita increased in 92 countries. The largest increases occurred in Qatar, Armenia, and Turkmenistan.
Qatar is also the country with the highest military expenditure per capita in the world, spending over $2,200 per citizen.
Despite recording the largest improvement in peacefulness in 2021, the Middle East and North Africa region remains the least peaceful region in the world, according to the index. The region is home to three of the five least peaceful countries in the world.
The index stated that over 5,000 pandemic-related incidents were recorded from January 2020 to April 2021. Violence ranged from violent demonstrations and riots in response to lockdown measures to targeted physical assaults. Violence cost the world $14.96 trillion PPP in 2020, equivalent to 11.6 percent of global GDP, or $1,942 per person.
Sources: The Peninsula/Doha News
