As of January 2024, 15 countries have seen improvements to their Index rankings during the five-year period between 2019 and 2023, and 16 have seen worsening levels of conflict. Overall, of the 50 countries ranked at the top of the Index, over half (42) are experiencing sustained or escalating levels of conflict compared to 2019. In the six months between the mid-year update of the Index (July 2023) and the end of the year, eight countries have seen worsening levels of conflict, with three of those countries – Palestine, Haiti, and Sudan – moving into the ‘extreme’ conflict level category. Second, conflict in other countries is rising in multiple ways: in event frequency, conflict groups, and location under active conflict. In the graphic below, the top 50 countries in the ACLED Conflict Index are placed across the UN Human Development Index.

Source: The North Africa Journal January 18, 2024 19:05 UTC