The average level of global peacefulness deteriorated by 0.42 percent in 2022, according to a survey by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) on Global Peace Index.
In Africa, the 2022 Global Peace Index shows that countries in the continent registered disparities in peace status with some improving and others plunging deeper into conflict.
First, the report stated that countries in Coastal West Africa maintained their virtuous cycle of peacefulness, showing improvements in their GPIs save for Guinea.
Countries within the neighboring Sahel region (Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, and Mali) remain unstable due to conflicts.
Emerging Brand Africa looks at the top ten peaceful countries in Africa, as per the 2023 Global Peace Index.
1. Mauritius
Mauritius, according to the report, is the most peaceful country in Africa after scoring a GPI of 1.546.
Moreover, the Island nation, which is also one of the smallest African nations, moved one step up in 2022 to stand at position 23 globally.
2. Botswana
Botswana, a 581,730 square kilometers country in Southern Africa, was second after taking position 68 in the rankings.
Besides, the landlocked country which shares a border with South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, scored a GPI of 1.762 to move six places up.
57 years after its independence, Botswana has a population of over 2.3 million people and enjoys relative peace and political stability.
Also, the nation has a parliamentary system of government and is one of the longest-uninterrupted democracies.
3. Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone in West Africa was third with a score of 1.792 and an overall position of 74 out of the 163 countries.
4. Ghana falls on Global Peace Index
Despite falling eight places in the Global Peace Index rankings, Ghana was among the top ten peaceful countries in Africa with a GPI of 1.799.
Ghana has vast deposits of minerals and other natural resources and enjoys relative peace with a stable political environment.
Additionally, in the Western Africa regional bloc, Ghana is a haven of peace – with its peers in the region grappling with instability.
- Senegal
Still in West Africa, Senegal scored a GPI of 1.827 to come in at the fifth position and 79th in the world.
At the same time, the Coastal West African country climbed up five places in 2022 according to the report.
- Madagascar
Madagascar, another island country, made it to the list of Africa’s top ten peaceful countries with a score of 1.846 GPI.
- Namibia
Located in South Western Africa, Namibia was the 83rd peaceful country in the world and seventh in Africa with a GPI of 1.859.
What’s more, over the years, Namibia has had a stable political system which has been cited as a factor in its poverty reduction and match to becoming an upper middle-income country.
- The Gambia with a GPI of 1.888
- Zambia, scored a GPI of 1.898 earning it a place in the top ten list of the top ten peaceful countries in Africa.
- Liberia with a GPI of 1.946
Biggest Improvements
According to the report, countries with a history of instability and conflict in recent years like South Sudan, Somalia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continued to struggle in 2022 and were ranked among the least peaceful countries.
However, Libya, Burundi, and Ivory Coast showed improvement in the rankings which is attributable to the stability experienced in the past two years.