Singapore ranked 29th most peaceful nation

The Straits Times, June 1, 2007
By Zakir Hussain


New global index of 121 countries lists it 6th in Asia-Pacific


A NEW global index measuring how peaceful countries are has ranked Singapore 29th on a list of 121 countries.

But it ranked sixth among the 21 economies from Asia and the Pacific on the index, which looked at factors such as levels of violence, military spending, relations with neighbours and political instability.

Norway was identified as being 'most at peace'. Bringing up the rear, in 121st place, was Iraq.

Topping the list in Asia and the Pacific was New Zealand - which ranked second globally. Then came Japan (fifth globally), Bhutan (19th), Hong Kong (23rd), Australia (25th) and Singapore.

Asian powerhouses China and India were 11th and 19th in the regional list respectively but were 60th and 109th on the global list.

The Global Peace Index gave Singapore top ranking for its low level of violent crime.

The study, the first of its kind, was initiated by Australian IT entrepreneur and philanthropist Steve Killelea, together with an international team of academics, philanthropists and peace institutions.

The index aimed to provide a quantitative measure of peace - internally and externally - and create a better understanding of what nurtures and sustains it.

Said Mr Killelea in a statement on Wednesday: 'I believe there is a link between the peacefulness and the wealth of nations and therefore business has a key role to play in peace.

'This is a wake-up call for leaders around the globe,' he added.

Compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit - which is linked to The Economist weekly magazine - the index looked at 24 indicators.

These were grouped into three broad categories: ongoing domestic and international conflicts, the level of safety and security in a society, and the level of militarisation and access to weapons.

Areas the study took into account included number of homicides, jailed population and internal security, and police officers per 100,000 people.

It also looked at democracy, transparency, levels of education and material well-being.

Its main findings were that small, stable countries which were part of regional blocs, such as the European Union, were most likely to rank high.

Income, extent of schooling and level of regional integration were also main determinants of internal peace. There was no one factor which made economies score poorly in external peace.

The study found that after Europe, Asia was the most peaceful region, although the gap between countries' rankings was wide.

While South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan and Malaysia were ranked 32nd, 35th, 36th and 37th globally, Indonesia was in 78th spot.

The Philippines, Thailand and Myanmar ranked 100th, 105th and 108th respectively.

Said a report accompanying the index: 'High levels of crime and internal disharmony in the Philippines, Thailand and Myanmar push these countries towards the bottom of the rankings.'

Perhaps most startling was the United States' rank: it was 96th globally - between Yemen and Iran.

Said the report: 'The US could be seen to be suffering for a Pax Americana with very high levels of military expenditure and engagement beyond its borders - effectively acting as a global policeman.

'However, it also suffers internally with the highest jailed population (as a proportion of the population) out of the 121 countries and comparatively high levels of homicides.'