Each year, the Global Peace Index ranks 163 independent states and territories according to their level of peacefulness. The index covers 99.7 percent of the world’s population and measures peacefulness by indicators such as the level of societal safety and security, ongoing domestic and international conflict and degree of militarization.
This year, the study found the overall global level of peace slightly improved, by 0.28 percent, with 93 countries improving and 68 countries deteriorating their levels of peacefulness.
The most peaceful country in the world? Iceland, a position held since 2008. Other top-ranking countries include New Zealand, Portugal, Austria and Denmark.
Syria is still the least peaceful country in the world, followed by Afghanistan, Iraq, South Sudan and Yemen.
As far as regions of the world go, six of the nine defined regions improved, with South America registering the largest improvement. The largest regional deterioration was seen within North America, due to the United States’ heavily increased levels of a perceived criminality within society and intensity of organized internal conflict. The United States also experienced the fourth-largest drop in Positive Peace globally, after Syria, Greece and Hungary.
Europe remains the most peaceful region in the world, with eight of the 10 most peaceful countries located in Europe.
The Top 10 most peaceful countries in the world were ranked, in descending order, as Iceland, New Zealand, Portugal, Austria, Denmark, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Canada and Switzerland; Ireland and Japan tied for 10th place.
The Top 10 least peaceful countries in the world were ranked, in ascending order of peacefulness, as Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, South Sudan, Yemen, Somalia, Libya, Sudan and Central African Republic tying at eighth place, Ukraine and Democratic Republic of Congo.
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