Global Peace Index: A trilateral comparison 

James Creechan 
June 9, 2009 
The Vision of Humanity website (http://www.visionofhumanity.org/index.php) publishes 
an annual Global Peace Index (http://www.visionofhumanity.org/gpi/home.php) based on 
23 indicators of the “presence or absence of peace”. The 2009 version compared 
140 countries. 

The methodology and data sources are described at 
http://www.visionofhumanity.org/gpi/about‐gpi/methodology.php, and indicators are coded 
as  5 point ordinal scales (“banded”) for qualitative measures, and collapsed into 
ten‐point categories for most quantitative measures. In the case of ordinal data, a 
lower number indicates a more peaceful state, and quantitative measures commonly 
use the higher score (maximum of 10) to indicate a more peaceful state. The peace 
indicators are constructed from both internal and external measures. The reader can 
consult the methodology link for complete conceptual explanations of all indicators 
and specifics about the comparative coding. 

The Vision of Humanity site offers several options for viewing the indicators and 
patterns. For instance, there is a page of international rankings of the overall 
cumulative measures that indicates New Zealand is the most peaceful society (index 
score of 1.2) and Iraq the least peaceful (index score of 3.341). Among NAFTA 
partners, Canada ranks as 8th most peaceful society (cumulative index of 1.311), the 
United States as 83rd (cumulative index of 2.015) and Mexico occupies 108th place 
(index of 2.209). The complete rankings for all 140 countries are available at the 
link http://www.visionofhumanity.org/gpi/results/rankings.php.  

The Vision of Humanity web site also allows a user to construct specific 
comparisons (http://www.visionofhumanity.org/gpi/results/comparison.php), and this 
feature was used to create a comparative description of Canada, Mexico and the 
United States. The indicators are presented in the table(s) below. Mexico appears to 
differ significantly (although no t‐test was computed) on several measures, and the 
those areas of difference are highlighted by use of an italicized red font  to describe 
the categories and a bold red font for Mexican values on that index. The United 
States differs significantly from both Mexico and Canada on a few indicators — the 
percentage of population in jails/prisons and the export of weapons. 

The focus of this brief analysis is Mexico — for which indicators and to what degree 
does it differ from its Canadian and United States North American neighbours. 
Comparison: Canada(CA) Mexico(MX) United States of
America(USA)

CA MEX USA

Overall Peace Index Rank 8 108 83

Draft Version: June 9, 2009 page 1 of 6 
 Score 1.311 2.209 2.015

Indicator information

# external & internal conflicts 1.5 1 1.5

fought: 2002-2007

Estimated # deaths from 2 1 3

organised conflict (external)

# of deaths from organised 1 1 1

conflict (internal)

Level of organised conflict 1 2 1

(internal)

Relations with neighbour 1 2 2

countries

Perceptions of criminality in 2 3.5 2

society

# displaced people as % of 1 1 1
population

Political instability 1 2.75 1.25

Respect for human rights 1.5 3 3

Potential for terriorist acts 2 3 3

# homicides per 100,000 1 4 2

Level of violent crime 1 5 2

Likelihood of violent 1 3.5 2

demonstrations

# jailed population per 100000 1.5 2 5

# internal security officers & 1 2 2

police 100000

Military expenditure as % of GDP 1 1 2

#f armed services personnel per 1 1 1

100000

Volume of transfers of major 1.5 1 2.5

conventional weapons as
supplier (exports) per 100000

Draft Version: June 9, 2009 page 2 of 6 
 Volume of transfers of major 1 1 1
conventional weapons as
recipient (Imports) per 100000

Funding for UN peacekeeping 1 1 1

missions (% assessed
contribution)

Aggregate number of heavy 1 1 1

weapons per 100000

Ease of access to weapons of 2 4 3

minor destruction

Military capability/sophistication 3 3 5

The first section of the table (above) indicates significant differences that are obvious to
any seasoned observer of North America — but these indicators describe these
differences in a concrete way that quantifyies and symbolically focuses on specific
themes. The level of violence in Mexico is significantly higher, its citizens perceive
violence to be high, and there is a greater potential for violent protest. It’s not been
uncommon for Mexican politicians, including Mexican attorney general Eduardo Medina
Mora Icaza, to argue that Mexico experiences no more violence than typically seen in
US large cities, but the international rankings indicate that this is a specious claim.
Felipe Calderón Hinojosa’s government has argued that Mexico is really no more violent
than the USA because approximately 75% of all homicidios dolosos (homicide with
deliberate intent) in 2008 occurred in only 3 of the 32 Mexican States. The data
indicates that the overall numbers are significantly higher, and easy access to
“weapons of minor destruction” are a significant reason for the difference.

Driver information

democracy and transparency CA MX USA

Electoral process 9.17 7.92 8.75

Functioning of government 9.64 7.14 7.86

Political participation 7.78 5 7.22

Political culture 8.75 5 8.75

Civil liberties 10 8.82 8.53

Corruption perceptions (CPI 8.7 3.6 7.3

score: 10 = highly clean 0 =
highly corrupt)

Draft Version: June 9, 2009 page 3 of 6 
Women in parliament (% total # of 22.1 23.2 17
representatives in lower house)

Political Democracy Index 9.07 6.78 8.22

Gender Inequality 0.72 0.64 0.7

Midterm elections will take place in early July, and there has been a great deal of
concern that voter participation will be historically low because of indifference, mistrust,
and widespread perceptions of corruption. The moral authority of both Federal and
State Electoral Institutes has been severely damaged by the 2006 Presidential Vote
controversy, by the inability of Congress and Senate to reign in Televisa and other
broadcasters, and by many revelations of corruption and self-serving actions by
politicians. There is also increasing evidence and awareness of direct links between
narcotraffic and politics, especially at the State and municipal level. President Felipe
Calderon’s suprising move to arrest mayors and government officials in his native State
of Michoacan may actually have an unintended consequence of suppressing voter
participation in the July elections. There is a growing movement calling for “blank
ballots” and boycotting of the elections related of the widely held cynical perception
that nothing will change. The data in the above indicators seems to suggest that those
who are concerned about the current health of Mexican democracy may be correct.

international openness CA MX US

Freedom of the press 3.3 46.1 8

Last week’s execution of Elisio Barrón Hernández

(http://www.internationalpen.org.uk/go/news/mexico-second-journalist-murdered-in-durango-
state ) is only one further example contributing to Mexico’s reputation as one of the
most dangerous places in the world to be a working journalist. PEN international said
the following:

“Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world to work as a journalist.
From 2004 to 2009, 22 writers - 21 print journalists and one author - have been
murdered, while four more print journalists have disappeared. Few if any of these crimes
have been properly investigated or punished. International PEN believes that it is likely
that these journalists were targeted in retaliation for their critical reporting, particularly
on drug trafficking. While organised crime groups are responsible for many attacks,
state agents, especially government officials and the police, are reportedly the main
perpetrators of violence against journalists, and complicit in its continuance.”

International openness CA MX US

Exports+Imports % of GDP 58.2 55.2 23.9

Foreign Direct Investment (flow) 3.10% 1.70% 1.90%

% GDP

Number of visitors as % of 56% 19.90% 17.10%

Draft Version: June 9, 2009 page 4 of 6 
 domestic pop

Net Migration (% of total 3.20% -3.7 2.20%

population)

The downturn in the American economy may see these numbers change next year, but
there will also be other implications for Mexico if they do. Remittances from the United
States to relatives Mexico provide the third largest source of legal revenue for the
Mexican economy in 2008.

demographics CA MX US

15-34 yr old males as % of total 13.80% 16.2 14.40%

pop

Gender ratio of pop: women/men 0.98 0.95 0.97

This number may not appear to be a significant difference— but it is enormous in

demographic terms. Furthermore, the upper age range (34) may be a misleading cut-off
point. The number of males under 30 is the most significant contributor to this
difference. The age group under 30 is most likely to be unemployed, undereducated
and targeted for recruited into narcotrafficking and other criminal misadventures.

In the following section, the most significant difference is in the “retention” data from
elementary school to secondary school. The comments about age also apply.

Regional & int'l CA MX US

framework/conditions

Extent of regional integration 2 2 2

education CA MX US

Current education spending (% 4.90% 5.50% 5.30%

GDP)

Primary school enrolment ratio 99% 97.70% 91.60%

(% Net)

Secondary school enrolment 97.60% 68.60% 88.40%

ratio (% Net)

Higher education enrolment (% 62.40% 25.30% 82.20%

Gross)

Mean yrs schooling 16.9 13.4 15.7

Adult literacy rate (% of pop over 99% 92.40% 99%

15)

Draft Version: June 9, 2009 page 5 of 6 
 culture CA MX US

Hostility to foreigners/private 0 1 1
property

Importance of religion in national 2 3 3

life

Willingness to fight 1 2 2

Material well-being CA MX US

Nominal GDP (US$PPP bn) 1284.415 1547.647 14264.6

Nominal GDP (US$bn) 1501.7914 1088.1279 14264.6

GDP per capita 45220 9900 46950

Gini-coefficient 32.6 46.1 40.8

Unemployment % 6.20% 4% 5.80%

Life expectancy 80.4 74.5 77.8

Infant mortality per 1000 live 4.9 29.1 6.5

births
Source: Global Peace Index, Visions of Humanity (http://www.visionofhumanity.org/index.php)

Draft Version: June 9, 2009 page 6 of 6