Political Stability and Absence of Violence

Assesses the likelihood that a government will be destabilized or overthrown by unconstitutional or violent means, including politically-motivated violence and terrorism. This indicator is crucial for understanding the overall stability of a country’s governance and its implications for various various sectors, including economic development, investment, and environmental conservation.

Political stability is vital for effective conservation efforts as it facilitates the long-term planning and implementation of environmental policies and projects. Stable governments are more likely to enforce conservation laws consistently, engage in international environmental agreements, and invest in sustainable development. Conversely, political instability can lead to a lack of focus on environmental issues, reduced enforcement of environmental regulations, and can make countries vulnerable to exploitative practices that harm biodiversity. Thus, political stability not only supports a conducive environment for economic growth but also ensures the continuity and efficacy of conservation initiatives.

The higher the score, the better the country ranks for this parameter.

The table is sorted from the highest score to the lowest:

Rank Country Score Change
1
Singapore
78 None
1
Brunei
78 +2
3
Dominica
76 None
3
New Zealand
76 None
5
Barbados
74 -2
5
Denmark
74 -2
5
Iceland
74 -2
5
Marshall Islands
74 -2
9
Micronesia
72 -6
9
Kiribati
72 -6
9
Luxembourg
72 -6
9
Samoa
72 -6
9
Switzerland
72 -6
9
Tonga
72 -6
15
Netherlands
71 -12
15
United Kingdom
71 -12
17
Bahamas
70 -14
17
Bhutan
70 -14
17
Botswana
70 -14
17
Costa Rica
70 -14
17
Czech republic
70 -14
17
Grenada
70 -14
17
Japan
70 -14
17
Qatar
70 -14
17
Saint Lucia
70 -14
17
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
70 -14
17
Uruguay
70 -16
18
Antigua and Barbuda
68 -15
18
Australia
68 -15
18
Cabo Verde
68 -15
18
Ireland
68 -15
18
Malta
68 -15
18
Norway
68 -15
18
Vanuatu
68 -15
35
Canada
66 -32
35
Laos
66 -32
35
Mauritius
66 -32
35
Seychelles
66 -32
35
Slovenia
66 -32
35
Sweden
66 -32
35
Taiwan
66 -32
42
Austria
64 -39
42
Estonia
64 -39
42
Fiji
64 -39
42
Finland
64 -39
42
Hungary
64 -39
42
Lithuania
64 -39
42
Portugal
64 -39
42
United Arab Emirates
64 -39
50
Belize
62 +13
50
Croatia
62 -47
50
Germany
62 -47
50 Italy 62 +13
50
Latvia
62 -47
50
Mongolia
62 -47
50
Oman
62 -47
50
Poland
62 -47
50
Slovakia
62 +13
50
South Korea
62 -47
50
United States
62 +13
61
Maldives
60 -58
61
Mauritania
60 +63
61
Namibia
60 -58
64
China
59 -1
65
Belgium
58 -62
65
Cuba
58 -62
65
Cyprus
58 -2
65
Jamaica
58 -2
65
Kuwait
58 -2
65
Romania
58 -62
65
Sao Tome and Principe
58 -62
65
Solomon Islands
58 None
65
Suriname
58 -2
65
Trinidad and Tobago
58 +8
75
Bulgaria
56 -12
75
East Timor
56 -12
75
Spain
56 -12
78
France
55 -15
79
Albania
54 -16
79
Dominican Republic
54 -16
79
Greece
54 -16
79
North Macedonia
54 -16
79
Malaysia
54 -16
79
Panama
54 -16
79
Zambia
54 -16
86
Chile
52 -83
86
Montenegro
52 -83
86
Paraguay
52 -23
86
Rwanda
52 -23
90
Cambodia
50 -27
90
El Salvador
50 None
90
Gambia
50 -27
90
Ghana
50 -27
90
Serbia
50 -27
90
Congo
50 -27
90
Vietnam
50 -27
97
Argentina
48 -34
97
Armenia
48 +27
97
Guyana
48 -34
97
Liberia
48 +27
97
Nicaragua
48 -34
97
Senegal
48 -34
97
Turkmenistan
48 -34
97
Tanzania
49 -34
105
Comoros
46 -42
105
Equatorial Guinea
46 None
105
Guatemala
46 -42
105
Jordan
46 -42
105
Malawi
46 -42
105
Nepal
46 -42
105
Saudi Arabia
46 -42
105
Sierra Leone
46 -42
105
Uzbekistan
46 -42
114
Angola
44 +10
114
Benin
44 -51
114
Bolivia
44 -51
114
Ecuador
44 -51
114
Gabon
44 -51
114
Georgia
44 -51
114
Guinea-Bissau
44 -51
114
Kazakhstan
44 -51
114
Lesotho
44 None
114
Thailand
44 -51
124
Bahrain
42 -61
124
Bosnia and Herz.
42 -61
124
Brazil
42 -61
124
Eswatini
42 -61
124
Indonesia
42 -61
124
Morocco
42 -121
130
Djibouti
40 -6
130
Honduras
40 -6
130
Kyrgyztan
40 -6
130
Papua New Guinea
40 -6
130
Peru
40 -67
130
Sri Lanka
40 -6
130
Tajikistan
40 -6
137
Algeria
38 -13
137
India
38 -13
137
Ivory Coast
38 None
137
Mexico
38 -13
137
Philippines
38 -13
137
Tunisia
38 -13
143
Azerbaijan
36 -19
143
Belarus
36 -19
143
Colombia
36 -19
143
Madagascar
36 -19
143
Moldova
36 -19
143
South Africa
36 -19
143
Uganda
36 -19
150
Eritrea
34 -26
151
Bangladesh
32 -27
151
Egypt
32 -27
151
Guinea
32 -27
151
Kenya
32 -27
151
Zimbabwe
32 -27
156
Togo
30 -32
156
Turkey
30 -32
158
Russia
28 -34
159
Burundi
26 -35
159
Venezuela
26 -35
161
Mozambique
24 -37
162
Cameroon
22 -38
162
Haiti
22 -38
162
Ukraine
22 -1
165
Lebanon
20 -4
166
Chad
18 -5
167
Iran
16 -6
167
Israel
16 -43
167
Niger
16 -6
170
Nigeria
14 -9
171
Pakistan
12 -10
172
Burkina Faso
10 -11
172
DR Congo
10 -11
172
Ethiopia
10 -11
175
Myanmar
8 -14
176
Central Af. Rep.
6 -15
177
Iraq
2 -4
178
Afghanistan
0 -5
178
Mali
0 -5
178
Sudan
0 -115

Source and Calculation

Latest values of each country’s worldwide governance indicators, ranging from -2.5 to 2.5, are sourced from the World Bank Group. A maximum score is awarded to a country that has scored 2.5 on its political stability and absence of violence indicator

*Different sources offer varying data, as datasets may be subject to changes due to recent updates and revisions.