FAILED STATES INDEX 2013

A State that is failing has several attributes. One of the most common is the loss of physical control of its territory or a monopoly on the legitimate use of force. Other attributes of state failure include the erosion of the legitimate authority to make collective decisions, an inability to provide reasonable public services, and the inability to interact with other states as full member of the international community.

There are twelve indicators of state vulnerability:

Social Indicators

1. Mounting demographic pressures
2. Massive movement of refugees or internally displaced persons
3. Legacy of vengeance-seeking Group grievance or group paranoia
4. Chronic and sustained human flight

Economic Indicators

1. Uneven economic development along group lines
2. Sharp and/or severe economic decline

Political and Military Indicators

1. Criminalization and/or delegitimization of the State
2. Progressive deterioration of public services
3. Suspension or arbitrary application of the rule of law and widespread human rights abuse
4. Security apparatus operates as a State within a State
5. Rise of factionalized elites
6. Intervention of other states or external political actors

Failed States Index 2013

1. Somalia (Alert)
2. Congo (Democratic Republic) (Alert)
3. Sudan (Alert)
4. South Sudan (Alert)
5. Chad (Warning)
6. Yemen (Warning)
7. Afghanistan (Warning)
8. Haiti (Warning)
9. Central African Republic (Warning)
10. Zimbabwe (Warning)
11. Iraq (Warning)
12. Côte d'Ivoire (Warning)
13. Pakistan (Warning)
14. Guinea (Warning)
15. Guinea Bissau (Warning)
16. Nigeria (Warning)

The Failed States Index presents a diagnosis of the problem, the first step in devising strategies for strenthening weak and failed states. The more reliably policymakers can anticipate, monitor and measure problems, the more they can act to prevent violent breakdowns, protect civilians caught in the crossfire and promote recovery. At the same time, policymakers must focus on building the institutional capacity of weak states, particularly the core five institutions: military, police, civil service, the system of justice and leadership. Policies should be tailored to the needs of each State, monitored and evaluated intensively, and changed,as necessary, if recovery is not occuring as intended. Continuous monitoring of the measures, using the same assessment methodology can inform decision-making on strategies and programs.