Iceland named most peaceful country for 15th consecutive year

Iceland has secured the title of the most peaceful country in the world for the 15th consecutive year, according to the recently-released 2023 Global Peace Index by the Institute for Economics and Peace. The report, however, also highlighted a concerning trend of decreasing global peace overall.

“Over the last 15 years the world has become less peaceful, with the average country score deteriorating by five percent,” the report found. “Of the 163 countries in the GPI, 95 recorded deteriorations, while 66 recorded improvements and two recorded no change in score. Sixteen of the 23 GPI indicators deteriorated between 2008 and 2023 while eight improved.”

The Global Peace Index ranks countries renowned for their tranquility. This year, Iceland once again claimed the top spot, followed by Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, and Austria.

Out of the 163 countries assessed, the United States ranked 131st on the list. This came as the U.S. recorded the fourth-largest overall increase in its homicide rate, which is “more than six times higher than most Western European countries.”

“The United States experienced a slight deterioration in peacefulness over the past year, the continuation of a trend that began in 2015,” the report stated. “The deterioration was driven by a deterioration on the Safety and Security domain, particularly in the perceptions of criminality and homicide rate indicators.”

While the 25 most peaceful countries experienced a modest increase in peace by 4.3% since 2008, the 25 least peaceful countries witnessed a significant decline in peace, with a decrease of over 12%.

In addition to the previously mentioned nations, the top 10 most peaceful countries in the world, as determined by the Global Peace Index, also included Singapore, Portugal, Slovenia, Japan and Switzerland.

“The need for a systemic response to building peace is urgent. Conflict is intensifying in several regions, with conflict-related deaths rising rapidly,” the report’s introduction concluded. “The gap between the most and least peaceful countries continues to grow, and although many measures of militarization have improved over the past fifteen years, the proliferation of cheaper advanced military technologies, increasing geopolitical competition, and an underlying current of political instability in many countries means that a continuing deterioration of global peacefulness seems likely.”