Iceland has been named the most peaceful country in the world by the Institute for Economics and Peace’s Global Peace Index (GPI).
Iceland has maintained its top ranking for the 6th year in a row, being joined this year by Denmark and New Zealand to round out the top 3. Meanwhile, Afghanistan has been deemed the least peaceful country, followed by Somalia and Syria.
The 2013 GPI (PDF link) determined the peacefulness of 162 countries using a series of 22 indicators to gauge on-going domestic and international conflict, safety and security in society, and militarization, among other factors. Iceland received a score of 1.16 (out of 5), while by comparison Afghanistan received a score of 3.44.
According to the 2013 GPI the world is 5% less peaceful today than it was in 2008. This is, in part, due to increased military spending and increased homicides globally.
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