For the 15th consecutive year, Iceland has been declared the most peaceful country in the world, even as global peace levels have slightly declined, as stated in a recent report.
The Institute for Economics and Peace has recently published its annual 2023 Global Peace Index, highlighting the top 10 countries known for their peacefulness and serenity.
In the rankings for 2023, Iceland claims the first position as the most peaceful country worldwide. Denmark and Ireland, two other nations from Iceland, secure the second and third positions, respectively, as the next most peaceful countries.
Here’s the full list of the top 10 most peaceful countries in the world:
- Iceland
- Denmark
- Ireland
- New Zealand
- Austria
- Singapore
- Portugal
- Slovenia
- Japan
- Switzerland
Out of the 163 countries listed, the United States came in at 131. According to the study, the United States recorded the fourth-largest overall increase in its homicide rate, which is “now above six per 100,000 people and more than six times higher than most Western European countries.”
According to The Institute for Economics and Peace, the gap between the least and most peaceful countries continues to grow. Since 2008, the 25 least peaceful countries declined on average by 12.1%, while the 25 most peaceful countries improved by 4.3%.