File photo: Ghana has been ranked among the most peaceful countries several times
• Based on research, Ghana has several times been placed among the top peaceful countries on the African continent
• It is no secret that the country is usually referred to as a ‘safe haven’
• Ghana has been acknowledged among the less violent countries in the world
In series of the Global Peace Index report which is often released by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), Ghana’s peace progress is often reviewed and acknowledged.
The report mostly maintains that political stability remains strengthened by Ghana’s strong democratic credentials.
In a bid to analyze the state of the world’s global peace, Ghana often tops the list of countries, particularly the African countries reviewed.
The annual report often buttresses the state of peace across the level of Societal Safety and Security, the extent of Ongoing Domestic and International Conflict, and the degree of Militarization.
However, although Ghana is touted as one of the top peaceful countries in Africa, it is believed in recent times that the country is declining in terms of social safety and security which needs to be addressed.
GhanaWeb takes a look at the number of times Ghana has been ranked among the top peaceful countries in Africa and worldwide:
Ghana ranked 6th most peaceful country in Africa
Ghana placed sixth in Africa in the 2015 Global Peace Index (GPI) and placed 54th out of 162 countries sampled, scoring 1.840 in the group of seven that made positive out-turn in Africa.
The most peaceful nation in Africa was Mauritius which made an improvement of 0.013 points and was positioned 25th worldwide. It was followed by Botswana 31, Namibia 48, Senegal 49 and Sierra Leone 59.
Ghana maintained its place as the 6th most peaceful country in Africa in 2016
The country which experienced a transition of government during that particular period maintained its spot as the 6th most peaceful country in the African continent and 44th in the world according to the Global Index report.
Ghana ranked 5th most peaceful country in Sub-Sahara Africa
In 2018, Ghana was placed 41st on the list of peaceful countries in the world and the fifth most peaceful in Sub-Sahara Africa according to the Global Peace Index report.
Ghana ranked 4th most peaceful in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2019
In 2019, Ghana was listed as the 44th most peaceful country in the world and the fourth peaceful country in sub-Saharan Africa per the Global Peace Index report.
The Index during that period indicated improvements from political instability, which earned points for Ghana. It also noted that improvements in the political foundations for peace might have been the most promising development in the region.
In that particular year, Ghana, Mauritius, Botswana, Malawi and Zambia were the region’s most peaceful countries, while Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Somalia and South Sudan recorded the lowest levels of peacefulness.
Ghana ranked the most peaceful country in West Africa in 2020
In 2020, Ghana was ranked the most peaceful country in West Africa and third on the continent in the Global Peace Index report.
The index which was produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) also ranked Ghana as the 43rd most peaceful country in the world.
Ghana’s rise in rankings at that time was despite Sub-Saharan Africa recording a slight fall in peacefulness on the 2020 Ghana Peace Index, with an overall score deterioration of 0.5 percent.
Ghana ranked the 2nd most peaceful country in Africa in 2021
With Mauritius topping the list, Ghana was ranked the second most peaceful country in the African continent according to the Global Peace Index in 2021.
In the rankings, Ghana was placed 38th in the world out of a total of 163 countries reviewed. Ghana scored 1.715 which represents a two-point move upwards from the country’s previous position in 2019.
Background
The list began in 2008 and has since been published annually. The index includes a number of indicators relating to both domestic and international peacefulness.
With regards to international affairs, the majority of indicators relate to involvement in military conflict or the efforts of the state in question to resolve conflict and ensure the safety of those affected.
For example those states who give more financial support to UN peacekeeping missions are considered to be more peaceful while those who have a higher military expenditure as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) are considered to be less peaceful.
Domestic indicators focus on both the amount of violence and crime in addition to incarceration rates.