Top 10 Most Peaceful Countries in the World 2024: Iceland Leads Global Peace Index Rankings Again

The results presented in the 2024 GPI are rather gloomy; during the last year, the worldwide average index of peacefulness has worsened up to 0. increasing by 56 % over the past year. This is the twelfth subsequent deterioration within the last 16 years due to the number of ongoing and active conflicts, militarization, and the transformation of wars in the twenty-first century.

However, the report also showed that, out of the 64 countries that were assessed, 65 of these countries had a better score in the index of peacefulness in 2024 as compared to the previous year. The 10 least violent countries are Iceland, Ireland, and Austria, and they are all providing fresh evidence that conflict prevention has economic and social dividends.

Top 10 Most Peaceful Countries in the World

1. Iceland - Iceland remains the most peaceful country in the world for the 17th consecutive year. It ranks 3rd in safety and security, and 1st in ongoing conflict and militarization domains, but saw a 4% deterioration due to increased homicide rate and terrorism impact.
2. Ireland - Ireland holds the 2nd position, ranking 4th lowest in economic cost of violence and having a neutral army with no NATO military spending targets.
3. Austria - Austria retains its 5th rank, performing well across all domains and is recognized for its low economic cost of violence. However, recent terrorist events have led to stringent government response.
4. New Zealand - New Zealand claims the 4th rank globally and is the most peaceful country in Asia-Pacific. It saw improvements in violent demonstrations, incarceration rates and terrorism impact indicators.
5. Denmark - Denmark has risen to 2nd place, with a low economic cost of violence at only 4% of GDP. However, its military spending is expected to rise due to recent budgeting announcements.
6. Portugal - Portugal firmly maintains its 7th rank and is recognized as the 5th most peaceful country in Europe.
7. Singapore - Singapore made a notable advancement to 6th place. It ranks 2nd in Asia-Pacific, and top 5 in safety, security and ongoing conflict domains, despite relatively high military expenditure.
8. Slovenia - Slovenia is the only Central European country in the top ten, ranking 5th in the militarization domain despite dropping one rank to 8th overall.
9. Japan - Japan moved up to 9th rank, securing the 2nd spot in the safety and security domain and 3rd in Asia-Pacific. Its proximity to China and North Korea leads to higher collective self-defence spending.
10. Switzerland - Switzerland entered the top 10 but maintains one of the highest weapons exports per capita globally.

This ranking reflects the peacefulness of nations based on various indicators, with a lower score indicating a more peaceful country

The top 10 countries are predominantly from Europe, with 7 countries, while the remaining 3 are from Asia-Pacific. The Global Peace Index analyzes 23 indicators across militarization, safety and security, and domestic and international conflict to rank countries.

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