(AFP/ File photo)
The Institute for Economics and Peace released Wednesday its 2014 Global Peace Index (GPI) in which Egypt ranked 143 out of 162, falling over 30 places and marking the second biggest loss in peace of any country in the world.
The GPI “gauges global peace using three themes: the level of safety and security in society, the extent of domestic or international conflict, and the degree of militarisation”, and subsequently “ranks countries according to 22 indicators of peace”.
The report published damning findings for Egypt, which witnessed unprecedented bloodshed after the 3 July ouster of Mohamed Morsi.
“The economic impact of containing and dealing with the consequences of Egypt’s levels of violence was estimated to cost the national economy $36bn in 2013. This is equivalent to 6.5% of Egypt’s GDP, or $445 per person,” the report said. $445 is about two and a half months of the government standardised minimum wage.
“Egypt and Syria were, unsurprisingly, the two countries that saw their overall scores deteriorate the most, with Egypt suffering the second-steepest decline at the global level.”
Egypt is ranked 13 out of the 19 countries that make up the Middle East and North Africa region.
“The main cause of this disruption was the military-led ousting of the former president, Mohamed Morsi, and the resulting crackdown on his supporters from the Muslim Brotherhood, which had risen to become the country’s largest party,” the report said.
Egypt is situated between India and Chad at number 143. North Korea is 10 spots behind Egypt. Syria, Afghanistan and South Sudan take the last three spots on the list respectively.
Europe, the report says, continues to be the most peaceful region in the world.
The annual Index has found a seven year, gradual decline in the amount of peacefulness. This downward slide followed a 60-year trend of increasing peacefulness globally.
