This map shows 2011 United States Peace Index.
Key findings:
- First-ever ranking of peace in the U.S. shows the nation has become more peaceful since 1995
- Report estimates reductions in violent crimes and incarceration rates to levels equal to Canada would yield $89 billion in direct savings, $272 billion in additional economic activity, and potentially create 2.7 million jobs
- New York, California and Texas see highest increases in peace since 1991, while North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana see largest declines
- Peace is politically neutral – neither Republican nor Democratic states have an advantage
What is the United States Peace Index?
The U.S. Peace Index is the first national peace index produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace. Similar in concept to the Global Peace Index (GPI), it uses "the absence of violence" as the definition of peace. Five indicators reflecting the incidence or absence of peace have been selected to construct the Index because of the ability to scale these indicators in a consistent way across many nations.
How is the United States Peace Index calculated?
The United States Peace Index is calculated on the basis of 5 key indicators (see the list below) of the existence or absence of peace were chosen by the panel of experts. All indicators are scored between 1 and 5, with 1 being the most peaceful possible score, and 5 being the least peaceful. Scores are calculated to two decimal places.
The five indicators are:
- Number of homicides per 100,000 people
- Number of violent crimes per 100,000 people
- Number of jailed population per 100,000 people
- Number of police employees per 100,000 people
- Availability of small arms
In order to maintain consistency, the weights assigned to each indicator mirror those used in the GPI for the same measures. GPI indicators weights were agreed upon by an international panel of experts based on a consensus view of their relative importance. The weights assigned to the 5 indicators are presented below.
- Number of homicides per 100,000 people: 4
- Number of violent crimes per 100,000 people: 4
- Number of jailed population per 100,000 people: 3
- Number of police employees per 100,000 people: 3
- Availability of small arms: 1
14 years ago
