JOHANNESBURG - South Africa is the 123rd most peaceful country in the world. This is according to the Global Peace Index which has just published its 2009 rankings of the 144 countries it surveyed. Of the 31 countries surveyed in Africa South Africa came in at number 21.

According to the GPI results report South Africa was one of the "top five fallers" this year. In 2008 South Africa was ranked the 116th most peaceful country of the 140 surveyed, down from 99 (out of 121) in 2007. This fall was largely attributable to the xenophobic violence that swept through Gauteng in May 2008. The report states:

"In the GPI, this is reflected in rises in two indicators: a two-point climb in the measure of the level of internal conflict and an increase in perceived criminality (to 4 on a scale of 1-5). The homicide rate and the level of violent crime are both accorded the highest possible scores, unchanged from last year, although they are counterbalanced by relatively low scores for measures of militarization, with the exception of military capability and sophistication."

The full ranking follows below:

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