Egypt ranked 139th on the world peace index for 2017, jumping by 3 places compared to 2016, according to a report by the Institute for Economics and Peace, issued on Sunday, which listed a total of 163 countries. The index measures the degree of peacefulness in accordance with three criteria; the level of security and safety in society, the level of domestic and global conflict, and the degree of military strength. The higher the number a country scores, the less peaceful is it. The report, which covers the events of 2016, said that the Middle East and North Africa was the least peaceful region in the world, as was also the case in 2015. It added that the situation in the region has deteriorated, although the size of deterioration is significantly lower compared to the previous two years. Six Arab countries were listed as among the 10 most dangerous in the world. Syria ranked first as the most dangerous country in the world, followed by Afghanistan, and Iraq. South Sudan ranked fourth, followed by Libya and Somalia. Pakistan progressed one degree compared to last year, while Israel retreated one degree on the index, currently standing at 144th place. The US was downgraded 11 degrees compared to 2016 to 114th place. In contrast, Iceland ranked first as the world's safest country, followed by New Zealand, Portugal, Austria, Denmark, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Canada, Switzerland and Ireland. Qatar progressed five degrees ranking fifth, while Iran ranked 129th place. The report concluded that six out of 9 regions in the world have become more peaceful. According to the report, the economic cost incurred because of violence reached in 2016 about US $14.3 trillion, equivalent to 12.6 percent of the world GDP. The report said that wars and violent conflicts have a significant impact on economic growth, both during and after a conflict, using the example of Syria where its GDP declined by 53 percent between 2011 and 2014. Source: Al-Masry Al-Youm
