Portugal Ranked 7th Among the World's Most Peaceful Countries

According to the 2024 Global Peace Index (GPI) report, Portugal was recognised as the 7th safest country in the world and 5th in Europe, maintaining its 7th position from the 2023 GPI report. This is particularly noteworthy given the global trend of decreasing peacefulness, with the overall level of peacefulness deteriorating by 0.56%.

The Global Peace Index, created by the Institute for Economics and Peace, offers the most comprehensive data-driven analysis of global peace trends, their economic value, and strategies for developing peaceful societies. The 2024 report covers 99.7% of the world’s population and uses 23 qualitative and quantitative measures to assess peace. This year's report reflects data from 2023.

The GPI evaluates peacefulness through three domains: Safety and Security, Ongoing Conflict, and Militarisation. Of these, only Militarisation showed positive changes globally.

The top 10 countries in the 2024 Global Peace Index are:

1. Iceland
2. Ireland
3. Austria
4. New Zealand
5. Singapore
6. Switzerland
7. Portugal
8. Denmark
9. Slovenia
10. Malaysia

Europe continues to be the most peaceful region worldwide, with seven of the top ten countries located on the continent. This reflects Europe’s strong diplomatic relations and commitment to maintaining peace in their borders.

In 2023, there were 56 ongoing conflicts worldwide, the highest number since the end of World War II, involving 92 countries. This increase complicates negotiation processes for lasting peace and prolongs conflicts. The 2024 GPI report notes that while 65 countries improved their peace index, 97 saw a decline, highlighting the widespread deterioration in global peacefulness.

In the 2024 Global Peace Index (GPI) report, the North American region, encompassing the United States and Canada, experienced the largest deterioration in peacefulness among all areas, with an average drop of nearly 5%. However, it's important to highlight the significant disparity between these two countries. Even with a slight decline, Canada still holds the 11th position as one of the safest countries in the world. In contrast, the United States is ranked 132nd, falling behind countries such as Brazil (131st), South Africa (127th), and Honduras (123rd).

Despite this regional decline, North America remains the third most peaceful region globally, following Europe and Asia-Pacific. The primary factors contributing to the decrease in the U.S. peace index include politically motivated attacks and mass shootings. While the number of terrorist attacks has decreased and there have been improvements in the homicide rate, the U.S. homicide rate still remains twice the global average.