The Global Peace Index (GPI) 2024 from the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) reported a rapid decline in peace globally for 2023, following the surge of 56 conflicts in the previous year—the most since World War II.
Amid the ongoing wars between Israel and Hamas and Russia and Ukraine, more countries are involved in major conflicts outside their borders. The rising number of minor conflicts puts the world at risk for bigger disputes in the future.
The global economic impact of violence surged in 2023, amounting to $19.1 trillion in total. As the global economy struggles, and inflation remaining stubbornly high, the likelihood of making lasting solutions remains bleak.
Moreover, as powerful nations are stretched thin, asymmetric warfare technology is reshaping the impact of smaller states when competing against larger states or governments. Consequently, the advancements made in the dynamics of warfare have decreased troop numbers, while technological sophistication increased.
Although the US remains a preeminent force in global politics, its dominance had a noticeable decline over the past two decades. The rapid shift is due to the prolonged military engagements in the Middle East, which have weakened its nation’s focus and resources. In the past decades, the US administration has continuously shifted its foreign policy, maintaining a different form of intervention with certain Presidents for each term.
Some countries emerging with influence such as China, Russia, and India, indicate a high possibility that their economy prospers in the near future. Therefore, marking a significant shift in international relations with the current dissemination of power in nations.
In the first four months of 2024, there were a total of 47,000 conflict related deaths globally. The GPI predicts if it holds up in the same rate for the rest of the year, it would have the highest amount of conflict related deaths since the Rwandan genocide in 1994.
