The nonprofit Institute for Economics & Peace’s annual Global Peace Index spotlights the most and least peaceful countries on Earth.
The report ranks peacefulness — or the lack of it — in 163 countries and territories, covering 99.7% of Earth’s population. The ranking is based on 23 indicators of national safety and security, participation in domestic and international conflict, and levels of militarization.
In the ranking, a higher score indicates less peace. The most peaceful nation earned a score of just 1.124. The least peaceful national — for the eighth consecutive year — is Afghanistan, with a score of 3.448.
The United States, with 2.448 points, ranks 131st. Canada made it into the top 15.
The study measures both the direct costs of violence and destruction and the indirect costs, like wages and productivity lost due to crime and economic activity that would have happened if not for violence.
Read on to see which are the most-peaceful countries, starting with the nation ranked No. 15 and ending with the safest country of all.
15. Germany
State of Peace score for this country: 1.456 (high)
How this country’s rank changed in the latest Global Peace Index: Moved up two spots from 2022
While Germany’s history has not always been peaceful, it has enjoyed relative calm for the past few decades.
After a tumultuous period in which the nation paid a heavy price during a pair of world wars and eventually was divided in two during the Cold War, Germany has been relatively stable since its reunification in 1990.
Today, Germany has the biggest economy in Europe, and its population ranks second to Russia.
14. Croatia
State of Peace score for this country: 1.45 (very high)
How this country’s rank changed in the latest Global Peace Index: Moved up one spot from 2022
Like Germany, Croatia has emerged from the deep freeze of the Cold War and now enjoys stability. The newfound peace came after four years of warfare following Croatia’s declaration of independence from Yugoslavia in 1991.
Croatia is a member of NATO and is a major tourist destination. It is the latest country — and 20th member — to adopt the euro, beginning just this year.
13. Finland
State of Peace score for this country: 1.399 (very high)
How this country’s rank changed in the latest Global Peace Index: Moved up three spots from 2022
At one time, Finland had an economy that was primarily based on farming and timber. Today, it has a modern, well-diversified economy and enjoys one of the highest per-capita incomes in Western Europe.
However, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine made peace-loving Finland a bit uneasy. The two nations share a long border, and Finland has grown concerned enough about its security that it became the 31st member of NATO in April.
12. Czechia
State of Peace score for this country: 1.379 (very high)
How this country’s rank changed in the latest Global Peace Index: Down five spots from 2022
Also known as the Czech Republic, Czechia lived firmly under the thumb of the Soviet Union — as a part of Czechoslovakia — until the famous and peaceful Velvet Revolution of 1989 that ended communist rule in the country.
In 1993, Czechoslovakia separated into Slovakia and the Czech Republic, the latter of which adopted the additional moniker of Czechia in 2016. Czechia mostly trades within the European Union and has a low unemployment rate.
11. Canada
State of Peace score for this country: 1.35 (very high)
How this country’s rank changed in the latest Global Peace Index: Up two spots from 2022
Canada is one of the biggest countries in the world by landmass and teems with natural resources. Historically, America’s neighbor to the north has had deep ties to Britain and did not gain legislative independence until 1931.
Today, Canada has one of the world’s biggest economies and is the United States’ largest trading partner. Timber, oil and gas remain important industries.
10. Switzerland
State of Peace score for this country: 1.339 (very high)
How this country’s rank changed in the latest Global Peace Index: Moved up one spot from 2022
When thinking of the most peaceful nation, you may think immediately of Switzerland — the tiny landlocked European nation that has held to a stance of neutrality since 1516.
The capital city of Geneva is home to more than 200 international organizations, including the International Red Cross and the European seat of the United Nations.
However, Switzerland is not ranked the world’s most peaceful nation in the Global Peace Index. It comes in instead at No. 10.
9. Japan
State of Peace score for this country: 1.336 (very high)
How this country’s rank changed in the latest Global Peace Index: The same as 2022
Japan, with a population of 124 million people, depends almost entirely on imported and foreign sources of energy, according to the CIA World Factbook.
Since its surrender at the end World War II, the small nation is the world’s fourth-largest economic power, and its economy is highly diversified. However, Japan faces economic headwinds due to heavy debt, slow wage growth, a declining labor force and a stagnant tourism industry.
8. Slovenia
State of Peace score for this country: 1.334 (very high)
How this country’s rank changed in the latest Global Peace Index: Moved down four spots from 2022
Slovenia is a small central European country that was part — along with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia — of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia through much of the 20th century.
It has a little more than 2.1 million people, making it smaller than the U.S. city of Chicago in population.
7. Portugal
State of Peace score for this country: 1.333 (very high)
How this country’s rank changed in the latest Global Peace Index: Moved up one spot from 2022
Portugal is a popular tourist destination. The travel site World Nomads notes that although Portugal is one of the safest places in Europe for visitors, petty crime is not uncommon. Car theft, bag snatching, pickpocketing and scams that target tourists are problems, especially in Lisbon, Portugal’s capital city.
6. Singapore
State of Peace score for this country: 1.332 (very high)
How this country’s rank changed in the latest Global Peace Index: Moved up four spots from 2022
The Singapore passport is tops when it comes to visa-free access to nations around the world, according to Henley & Partners, a global investment company.
The Henley Passport index finds that holders of a Singapore passport are allowed access to 192 countries (out of 227) without the need for a visa. Henley’s ranking uses data from the International Air Transport Association.
That’s more than any other passport. Japan previously held or tied for that top spot for five years.
The next most-powerful passports: German, Italian and Spanish passports share second place, with visa-free access to 190 countries.
5. Austria
State of Peace score for this country: 1.316 (very high)
How this country’s rank changed in the latest Global Peace Index: Moved down one spot from 2022
Austria is officially neutral on the world stage. Its neutrality dates to 1955, when the Soviet Union and allied powers recognized Austrian independence following World War II.
Today, more than 40 international diplomatic organizations are based in Vienna.
4. New Zealand
State of Peace score for this country: 1.313 (very high)
How this country’s rank changed in the latest Global Peace Index: Moved up two spots from 2022
New Zealand, famed for its low crime rates and strict gun laws, is under pressure after a recent shooting in the capital city of Auckland in which two people died and 10 more were injured.
The BBC reports that some New Zealanders may be feeling less safe as a result, despite tightened regulations after the nation’s deadliest attack, the 2019 Christchurch shooting, which killed 51 Muslims. Gun violence, however, remains relatively rare in the country.
3. Ireland
State of Peace score for this country: 1.312 (very high)
How this country’s rank changed in the latest Global Peace Index: Moved down one spot from 2022
When you think of Ireland, you may also think of Northern Ireland, a separate state where violent conflict killed at least 3,500 people between the late 1960s and late 1990s.
“The Troubles,” as that period is known, is over. A historic agreement in 1998 created a power-sharing government and disarmament. The violence of that time pitted a mostly Catholic nationalistic movement that wanted to leave the United Kingdom against Protestants who largely favored the existing British rule.
Ireland (also known as the Republic of Ireland) to the south, however, is an independent nation. Home to 5.1 million people, the country occupies most of the island of Ireland and is a member of the European Union.
According to the Irish government, homicides fell by 38% between the second quarters of 2021 and 2022.
2. Denmark
State of Peace score for this country: 1.31 (very high)
How this country’s rank changed in the latest Global Peace Index: Moved up one spot from 2022
Denmark has a laidback culture, according to the Cooperative of Danish Student Unions. “Danish culture and everyday life is based on a high degree of mutual trust and tolerance,” the organization says.
Denmark enjoys a low crime rate. Also, the cooperative adds, “… work-life balance is valued in Denmark, so you will rarely get extra points for working extra or overtime.” The idea, instead, is to work smarter, not harder.
1. Iceland
State of Peace score for this country: 1.124 (very high)
How this country’s rank changed in the latest Global Peace Index: The same as 2022
Iceland is nothing if not stable. The Global Peace Index has since 2008 consistently ranked Iceland as the world’s most peaceful nation.
Tiny Iceland, with its 361,000 people (as of 2023), has no standing military force. It enjoys a low crime rate and a strong educational and welfare system.
The Icelandic legislative assembly, the Althingi, is the oldest functioning legislative body in the world; it was established in 930 A.D.
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