This Island Was Just Named the Most Peaceful Country in the World

Iceland earned the title for the 15th consecutive time.

The Global Peace Index (GPI) revealed its annual ranking of the safest countries on Earth. And the United States doesn't even crack the top 100. But one tiny, isolated nation has pulled in the No. 1 most peaceful nation position for more than a decade running.

The honor of the most peaceful country once again went to Iceland, a position the index explained, "it has held since 2008."

The rankings are produced every year via a collaboration with the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) and the GPI. It takes into account 23 "qualitative and quantitative indicators," including measurements on "the level of Societal Safety and Security, the extent of Ongoing Domestic and International Conflict, and the degree of Militarisation," the report explained.

Beyond the updated ranking, the report noted that while 126 countries had improved their peacefulness between 2009 and 2020, the 2023 index showed "the average level of global peacefulness deteriorated for the ninth consecutive year, with 84 countries recording an improvement and 79 a deterioration." The latter, the report said, is largely due to post-COVID rises of civil unrest and political instability.

However, again, there are still plenty of peaceful places for us all to enjoy. Joining Iceland in the top 10 most peaceful nations is Denmark in second place, followed by Ireland, New Zealand, Austria, Singapore, Portugal, Slovenia, Japan, and Switzerland.

The five countries ranked at the bottom are the Democratic Republic of the Congo, followed by South Sudan, Syria, Yemen, and Afghanistan, with all of these nations experiencing varied levels of unrest.

As for the United States, it came in at the 131st spot, rankly extremely low due to the high prison population rate, weapons exports, and militarization.

Of course, this ranking doesn't define where you should and should not travel, as that is a highly personal decision. To make that choice, travelers can always check the U.S. Department of State's travel advisories and understand the difference between a travel alert and a travel advisory.

See the complete GPI rankings at visionofhumanity.org.

Related: This Is the Safest Country for Solo Travelers in 2023, According to a Study

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