Political Stability and Absence of Violence
Likelihood that government will be destabilized or overthrown by unconstitutional or violent means, including terrorism.
Quick Reference
Unit
Score (-2.5 to +2.5)
Category
Governance
Metric Code
political_stability
How It's Calculated
Composite indicator from 35+ sources measuring perceptions of: (1) government stability, (2) likelihood of coups or unconstitutional changes, (3) terrorism incidence, (4) internal conflict, (5) politically-motivated violence. Aggregated using Unobserved Components Model. Standardized to normal distribution ranging -2.5 (high instability/violence) to +2.5 (very stable). Also reported on 0-100 absolute scale.
Why It Matters
Political stability is a prerequisite for economic development, foreign investment, and long-term planning. Unstable countries face capital flight, brain drain, and disrupted public services. Terrorism and political violence destroy lives, infrastructure, and trust in institutions. Stable governance enables continuity in policy implementation, protection of property rights, and peaceful transitions of power. Investors avoid countries with high political risk regardless of economic fundamentals.
Understanding the Values
Very Weak: < -1.5 (ongoing conflict, frequent violence, coup risk - Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan) Weak: -1.5 to -0.5 (terrorism threats, political unrest - Pakistan, Iraq, Libya) Moderate: -0.5 to +0.5 (occasional instability, protests - Lebanon, Kenya, Nigeria) Strong: +0.5 to +1.5 (stable, minimal violence - most developed countries) Very Strong: > +1.5 (exceptionally stable, peaceful - Switzerland, Singapore, Norway) Global mean: ~0 by design OECD average: +0.8 Countries in bottom 10%: Active conflict zones, failed states, or severe terrorism Countries in top 10%: Long periods without coups, low terrorism, peaceful transitions
Related Metrics
Voice and Accountability
Extent to which citizens can participate in government selection and enjoy freedoms of expression, association, and media.
Rule of Law
Extent to which agents have confidence in and abide by rules of society, including quality of contract enforcement, property rights, police, and courts, as well as likelihood of crime and violence.
Government Effectiveness
Quality of public services, civil service competence, policy formulation and implementation, and credibility of government commitment to policies.
Data Quality & Coverage
Coverage: 200+ countries/territories Update frequency: Annual (1-2 year lag) Source: World Bank WGI Limitations: Perception-based, not objective violence counts. Does not distinguish between terrorism, civil war, or criminal violence. Sudden events (coups, attacks) may not immediately affect annual scores. Large confidence intervals for countries with sparse data. Terrorism in developed countries (e.g., France) may not significantly affect scores if rare. Does not measure regime type - stable autocracies score high.