Russia 155th in 2013 Global Peace Index

(RIA Novosti – MOSCOW, June 12, 2013) ­ Russia slid two places to 155th slot among 162 countries in the 2013 Global Peace Index, an annual report by a Sydney-based non-profit research group published Tuesday.

Russia’s downgrade was due to simmering violence in the North Caucasus and the country’s growing role as a global arms supplier, the Institute for Economics and Peace said in its report.

Russia ranked the worst of all post-Soviet countries. Globally, the only countries with a worse rating were the Democratic Republic of Congo, Pakistan, Sudan, Iraq, Syria, Somalia and Afghanistan.

The rating was topped by Iceland, Denmark and New Zealand. The United Kingdom ranked 44th, the United States 99th, China 101st and India 141st.

The world has become 5 percent less peaceful since 2008 due to a rising number of homicides, increased military spending and political instability, the report said.

Violence cost the world almost $9.5 trillion in 2012, the report said.

The Global Peace Index is compiled since 2007 and is based on data from the Economist Intelligence Unit. Russia ranked 118 of 121 countries in the 2007 rating.