MALAYSIA has moved up to the 10th spot globally out of 163 countries in the 2024 Global Peace Index (GPI), earning a “very high” state of peace in the ranking with a score of 1.427.

This marks a significant improvement from last year’s 19th place.

Regionally, Malaysia ranks 2nd in Asia, trailing only Singapore, which holds the 1st position in the region and 5th globally with a score of 1.339.

ALSO READ: Malaysia ranked 19th wealthiest country in Asia - Insider Monkey

Japan ranks 3rd in Asia and 17th worldwide with a score of 1.525.

Globally, Iceland leads the ranking with a score of 1.112, followed by Ireland at 1.303 and Austria at 1.313.

The GPI evaluates peacefulness across three areas: safety and security, ongoing conflict and militarisation.

Despite a 0.1% decline in the overall score, the Asia-Pacific region remains the second most peaceful region globally, a position it has maintained since 2017.

The study highlights a global trend of increasing instability over the past 17 years, marked by significant rises in political instability, conflicts, conflict-related deaths and violent protests.

ALSO READ: Malaysia slips one position to 12th spot in global passport index, Singapore maintains top spot