(Ecofin Agency) - Mauritius, according to the Global Peace Index 2016 published on June 10 by Australian think-tank Institute of Economics and Peace, is Africa’s most peaceful country.

Coming 23rd worldwide, the archipelago, with a score of 1.559 points, outranks Italy, UK, France and the USA.

It is followed by Botswana (28th worldwide), second in Africa in the ranking which is based on 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators that assess three main areas: the level of safety and security in society; the extent of domestic or international conflict; and the degree of militarization.

Next is Madagascar (38th worldwide) which is ahead of Zambia (40th worldwide), Sierra Leone (43rd), Ghana (44th), Malawi (45th) and Tanzania (58th).

Equatorial Guinea (62^nd worldwide) closes the Top 10 of most peaceful African nations. (See full ranking listing Africa’s 50 nations below).

For all 163 states and territories worldwide, the study conducted by the Institute of Economics and Peace shows that the world is becoming less peaceful given that this year the global level of peacefulness has decreased by 0.53% compared to 2015.

More globally, the world’s most peaceful countries are Island, Denmark, Austria, New Zealand and Portugal. The most dangerous are Syria, South Sudan, Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia.

The Global Peace Index 2016 also revealed that global cost of violence was $13,600 billion (measured in with purchasing power) in 2015. This is 13.3% of the world’s GDP.

In detail, military expenditure was the highest, $6.2 trillion. Then comes the cost related to domestic security, crimes and acts of violence which respectively were at $4.2 and $2.5 trillion. Direct losses in conflicts were estimated at $742 billion. Peace-keeping missions represent only 2% of the global cost of violence.

Africa’s most peaceful countries in 2016 :

1-Mauritius (23rd)
2-Botswana (28th)
3-Madagascar (38th)
4-Zambie (40th)
5-Sierra Leone (43rd)
6-Ghana (44th)
7-Malawi (45th)
8-Namibia (55th)
9-Tanzania (58th)
10-Equatorial Guinea (62nd)
11-Lesotho (63rd)
12-Tunisia (64th)
13-Togo (66th)
14-Mozambique (68th)
15-Senegal (70th)
16-Benin (72nd)
17-Liberia (72nd)
18-Gabon (79th)
19-Burkina Faso (88th)
20-Swaziland (90th)
21-Morocco (91st)
22-Gambia (92nd)
23-Angola (98th)
24-Uganda (101st)
25-Guinea (102nd)
26-Algeria (108th)
27-Niger (113th)
28-Congo Republic (114th)
29-Guinea Bissau (116th)
30-Côte d’Ivoire (118th)
31-Ethiopia (119th)
32-Djibouti (121st)
33-Mauritania (123rd)
34-South Africa (126th)
35-Zimbabwe (127th)
36-Rwanda (128th)
37-Cameroon (130th)
38-Kenya (131st)
39-Erythrea (135th)
40-Chad (136th)
41-Mali (137th)
42-Burundi (138th)
43-Egypt (142nd)
44-Nigeria (149th)
45-DR Congo (152nd)
46-Lybia (154th)
47-Sudan (155th)
48-Central African Republic (157th)
49-Somalia (159th)
50-South Sudan (162nd)