The Fragile States ranks 178 countries based on the pressures they face that impact their levels of fragility. A lower score for a country’s total indicator means the greater relative stability. The index assesses several indicators measuring a country’s stability, including:
- cohesion indicators: a country’s security apparatus, factionalised elites, group grievance
- economic indicators: economic decline, uneven development, human flight
- political indicators: state legitimacy, public services, human rights
- social indicators: demographics, refugees and internally displace people, external intervention
The index’s aim is to help inform projects in the field, by policymakers, field practitioners and local community networks.