The Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) recently released the Global Peace Index (GPI). The list of the top 10 peaceful countries in the world, based on the GPI score, is topped by Iceland.
India, ranking fifth in the list of countries by Gross Domestic Product (GDP), lags far behind on the GPI list.
How is it calculated?
The GPI of a country is measured based on the following domains:
- Ongoing domestic and international conflict
- Societal safety and security
- Militarization
A country’s GPI score is assessed in these three domains using 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators, including the number and duration of internal conflicts, deaths from organized conflicts, political instability, and the number of incarcerated individuals. Based on the score, a list of the most peaceful countries in the world is created.
The GPI score ranges from 1 to 5. The lower the score, the more peaceful the country.
List of top 10 peaceful countries in the world
According to the GPI, Iceland is the most peaceful nation in the world, with Ireland and Austria ranking among the top three peaceful nations.
Currently, the GPI scores of the top 10 peaceful countries in the world range from 1.112 to 1.427.
Below is the list of the top 10 peaceful countries and their GPI scores:
| Country name | GPI score (1-5) |
| Iceland | 1.112 |
| Ireland | 1.303 |
| Austria | 1.313 |
| New Zealand | 1.323 |
| Singapore | 1.339 |
| Switzerland | 1.35 |
| Portugal | 1.372 |
| Denmark | 1.382 |
| Slovenia | 1.395 |
| Malaysia | 1.427 |
India’s ranking
In the list of peaceful countries, India holds the 116th position out of 163 nations worldwide. However, the country is more peaceful than many well-known countries, including the United States of America, Israel, Turkey, Iran, and Russia.
According to the Index, Yemen is the least peaceful country, occupying the last spot on the list with a score of 3.397.
