The world's most peaceful countries

Global peacefulness

This 11th edition of the World Peace Index carried out by the Institute for Economics and Peace, assesses the peacefulness of 163 independent states on five continents, covering 99.7% of the world's population. Three main criteria are taken into account – the level of social security and safety, the extent of ongoing conflicts at a national and international level, and the degree of militarisation. This year, new elements, such as the positive factors of peace, were also considered to give you an idea of the improvement or deterioration demonstrated by some countries.

The rate of peace around the globe has improved slightly by 0.28% in 2017, thanks to the progress demonstrated by 93 countries. On the other hand, 68 countries are considered to be less peaceful. But what are the most peaceful countries in the world? Unsurprisingly, Iceland is once again at the top of the list, having held the number one position since 2008. It is followed by New Zealand, Portugal, Austria, Denmark, The Czech Republic, Slovenia, Canada, Switzerland, Ireland and Japan.

Europe

Europe seems to be the most peaceful region in the world, with several of its countries recognised for their high level of safety. The top 10 in the world include Norway, Hungary, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Belgium and the Netherlands. It's worth pointing out that considerable progress has been demonstrated during the past year by Portugal, thanks to an economic recovery which has led to a reduction in the rate of violence.

On the other hand, Poland shows a significant drop compared to the rest of Europe due to the intensity of internal conflicts and manifestations of violence, especially since the 2015 elections that gave rise to a wave of protests. Countries in the south-east of Europe – including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Montenegro – have also experienced a period of instability since 2016. France dropped by five places to 51^st, in part due to the recent terrorist attacks the country has suffered.

The Americas

As the eighth most peaceful country in the world, Canada is undoubtedly the safest country in the Americas. Indeed, Canada is known to be one of the most peaceful and welcoming nations in the world, with its population often stereotyped as being friendly and polite. The United States, on the other hand, is in 114^th place, largely due to the last presidential election, resulting in an upsurge of internal conflicts and instability. According to social perception, the decline in the level of confidence inspired by the current government has led to an increase in the crime rate.

South America shows a slight improvement over 2016, especially regarding social security and safety. The best performances were recorded in Argentina, Guyana, and Colombia. Chile, the most peaceful country in Latin America, is in 24^th position, followed by Uruguay (35^th), Argentina (55^th), Ecuador (66^th), and Paraguay (68^th).

In Central America, it was Costa Rica that stood out, coming in 34^th on the world scale, although it has dropped one place from last year. Costa Rica is followed by Panama in 49^th, while Mexico, Trinidad, and Tobago have seen their situation deteriorate.

Asia Pacific

The second most peaceful country in the world, New Zealand, is known for its high quality of life. It is the safest country in the Asia-Pacific, followed by Japan, Australia, Singapore, and Malaysia in 10^th, 12^th, 21^st and 29^th places, respectively. Taiwan, Laos, Mongolia, South Korea, and Indonesia are other favourable countries in the region, attracting foreign nationals in large numbers for their living standards.

Cambodia has made significant progress over the past year, with a slight decline in the unemployment rate and improvements in its external conflict with Thailand in particular. On the other hand, the situation in the Philippines has deteriorated since the accession to power of its new President in 2016, resulting in an increase in violence as the new government seeks to address drug use in the country.

Middle East and Africa

If it is in the Middle East that you are looking to move, consider Qatar, which ranks 30^th in the world, followed by Kuwait in 58^th. The United Arab Emirates appears in 65^th, while Tunisia ranks 69^th, and Oman is in 70^th.

About ten African countries are in the top 50 of the world's most peaceful countries. Mauritius features highly in the rankings, coming in 22^nd, followed by Botswana (27^th), Sierra Leone (39^th), Zambia (41^st), Ghana (43^rd), Madagascar (44^th), Malawi (48^th), and Namibia (50^th). On the other hand, many African countries, including Ethiopia and Lesotho, are still experiencing internal conflicts and exacerbated political tensions. However, a slight improvement was detected in the overall performance of Senegal and Rwanda through sustainable economic growth.

The least safe countries

Given the current level of conflict, Syria is the least secure country in the world, finding itself in 163^rd position. Iraq, Southern Sudan, Yemen, Somalia, Libya, Sudan, the Central African Republic, and Ukraine are at the bottom of the ranking due to their political instability and level of militarization, among many other factors.