Would you say we’re peaceful in Washington? According to the just-released 2012 United States Peace Index produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace we are among the top ten most peaceful states in the nation.
The study took into account five indicators to rank each state:
• Number of homicides per 100,000 people
• Number of violent crimes per 100,000 people
• Incarceration rate per 100,000 people
• Number of police employees per 100,000 people
• Availability of small arms
And this is how we scored:
The study took into account five indicators to rank each state:
• Number of homicides per 100,000 people
• Number of violent crimes per 100,000 people
• Incarceration rate per 100,000 people
• Number of police employees per 100,000 people
• Availability of small arms
And this is how we scored:
Michael Killelea, founder and CEO of the institute, said that peaceful states perform better in terms of economy, health and education: “They have higher high school graduation rates, lower poverty, better access to basic services, higher labor force participation rates, higher life expectancy and less single-parented families. Even social capital – like volunteerism, civic engagement, trust, and group membership — is higher in more peaceful states."
Washington has been among the top ten most peaceful states since 2006, but this is the first time we’re at number 7, so we seem to be getting the hang of the peace thing.
For more information be sure to take a look at the report here.
To read this post in Spanish, click here.
