Iceland is the most peaceful nation in the world, according to the 17th edition of the Global Peace Index released by the Institute of Economics and Peace.
The Global Peace Index, or GPI, is updated every year and compares countries in three broad categories, or domains: Societal Safety and Security, Ongoing Domestic and International Conflict and Militarisation. Within those three domains, the report ranks 23 different criteria that include low crime rates and minimal military spending.
In the 2023 edition, Iceland received a 1.124 score to take the title of most peaceful country; the island nation in the North Atlantic Ocean has been ranked first since 2008. Iceland is known for its scenery, including the world-famous Blue Lagoon, and has seen an increase in tourism due in part to its reputation as a safe place to visit.
While Iceland did place first in peacefulness, this was the first year for any terrorist activity in the country. In one incident, four people were charged with planning an attack against the Icelandic Parliament building and prominent politicians. However, no physical attack ever took place.
After Iceland, Denmark placed second in the report, followed by Ireland, New Zealand and Austria. The index noted that Europe is the world’s most peaceful region.
“Europe… is home to seven of the ten most peaceful countries. However, it deteriorated on all three GPI domains over the past year, as tensions between European countries and Russia continued to grow,” the report read.
Other countries that finished in the top 10: Singapore, Portugal, Slovenia, Japan and Switzerland. Canada was 11th and the U.S. ranked 131st.
The five least peaceful nations are Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Libya, ranked 137th, made the greatest improvements in the rankings by moving up 14 spots. In total, 163 countries were part of the index.
The Institute for Economics and Peace, based in Sydney, Australia, is a nonprofit think tank focused on measuring peace as a factor in global human well-being and economic improvements.