The Democratic Republic of the Congo is at high risk for severe flooding, contributing to the likelihood of future conflict.
Violence in the Central African Republic costs the country approximately 47% of its GDP.
Seleka rebels and Anti-Balaka militia members continue to clash in the Central African Republica, pushing the country into chaos and creating an internally displaced population of 620,000, with 570,000 refugees headed to neighboring countries like Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to Reuters.
In 2018, Iraq saw a decrease in state-backed violence and in the number of refugees and internally displaced persons as a percentage of its population.
Still, Iraq deals with significant conflict, both internal and external. The are still remnants of ISIS, despite its official defeat, in part because divisions in Iraq's security forces have undercut efforts to eliminate the group.
Syria's conflicts place it high on the list, although it is no longer the least peaceful country.
Syria is now GPI's second least peaceful country in the world. The GPI cites ISIS' defeat in the town of Baghuz earlier this year as key to moving the country from the first spot to the second.
Afghanistan is the least peaceful country in the world, according to the index
Afghanistan was designated the least peaceful country in the world by the GPI in 2019, supplanting Syria.
Violence in Afghanistan cost it 47% of its GDP, and the ongoing conflict has killed 3,804 people last year, including 973 children — the highest number ever in the country, according to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.
Afghan citizens feel 20% less safe than they did in 2008, according to the GPI. Confidence in the country's military has fallen by more than 31 percentage points since 2013.