Costa Rica ranked 40th in Global Peace Index, four spots lower than last year

June 12^th, 2013 (InsideCostaRica.com) Internal security and tensions with its northern neighbor, Nicaragua, are some of the reasons cited for Costa Rica falling four spots on the Global Peace Index (GPI) to take the 40^th position this year.

The study by the Institute for Economics and Peace evaluates 22 indicators in three major categories: society and security, militarization and internal conflict.  The indicators are marked on a scale of 0 to 5, where 0 is considered the most “peaceful.”

This year, the index ranked 162 countries.

Costa Rica – a country without a military – scored 1.9 in militarization, 2.3 in security and society, and 1.6 in internal conflicts.  An increasing homicide rate and access to weapons are cited against the country.

The study indicates that there has been an increasing trend of violence worldwide since 2008.

Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, Syria and Somalia occupy the bottom of the index, while Iceland, Denmark, New Zealand, Austria and Switzerland lead the index as being the most peaceful.

Despite Costa Rica’s seemingly less-than-stellar ranking, it continues to lead among Central American countries.

The study indicates that in 2012, the economic impact of global violence amounted to 11% of global GDP.