Top 10 Most and Least Peaceful Countries in the World to Visit 2022/2023

Jenny Lee April 18, 2022 | 08:36

Look at the full list of latest 'Global Peace Index' to know top 10 safest countries and most dangerous countries in the world for 2022/2023.

Top countries - Safest and Most Dangerous in the World

In total, 163 independent states and territories are ranked. The ranking takes in data collected by the Economist Intelligence Unit and with input from various think tanks and experts.

The latest Global Peace Index found that peace as a whole fell by 0.7 percent worldwide in 2021 compared to 2020. This is the ninth deterioration in peacefulness in the last thirteen years, with 87 countries improving, and 73 recording deteriorations; however, the change in score is the second smallest in the history of the index. The 2021 GPI reveals a world in which the conflicts and crises that emerged in the past decade have begun to abate, only to be replaced with a new wave of tension and uncertainty as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and rising tensions between many of the major powers.

The Full List and Top 10 Safest and Peaceful Countries in the World 2022/2023

In the latest Global Peace Index produced by the Institute for Economics & Peace, Iceland was rated as the world's most peaceful country, followed by New Zealand, Denmark, Portugal, and Slovenia in the top 5. Austria and Switzerland came in ahead of Ireland, Czechia, and Canada to round out the top 10.

The most peaceful country was Iceland. That's understandable when one considers that it is a small country of around 400,000 people with no neighbors and has no army (it only has a coast guard with vessels and four planes). After that New Zealand was the most peaceful.

The United States was given a low score of 2.337 being ranked as the 122nd most peaceful out of 163 countries.

For those interested, they also have a peace index for the United States by state. The states are measured with 5 indicators: homicide, violent crime, incarceration, police employees, and small arms. The most peaceful states were ranked as Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Minnesota, and Utah. The least peaceful state was Lousiana.

1.Iceland: Score 1.100

2.New Zealand: Score 1.253

3.Denmark: Score 1.256

4.Portugal: Score 1.267

5.Slovenia: Score 1.315

6.Austria: Score 1.317

7.Switzerland: Score 1.323

8.Ireland: Score 1.326

9.Czech Republic: Score 1.329

10.Canada: Score 1.330

*The full list of the Global Peace Index report Download Here

Eight of the ten countries at the top of the GPI are located in Europe. This is the most European countries to be ranked in the top ten in the history of the index. Singapore fell out of the top ten, replaced by Ireland which improved by three places.

Only three of the nine regions in the world became more peaceful over the past year. The largest improvement occurred in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), followed by Europe and South Asia. However, MENA still remains the least peaceful region in the world. An improvement in the level of Ongoing Conflict in MENA was the biggest driver of increased peacefulness, with every indicator on the domain, recording an improvement. In Europe the improvement in peacefulness was driven by improvements in internal safety and security, including improvements in terrorism impact, violent demonstrations and violent crime. However, political instability and military expenditure deteriorated.

Where are Ukraine & Russia Places on the World's Happiest Countries 2022

Produced by the Produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace, the Global Peace Index has been ranking countries based on perceived safety since 2009. It uses 23 individual indicators across three major areas: a country's level of societal safety and security, its extent of ongoing domestic and international conflict, and its degree of militarization.

The index investigates any ongoing domestic and international conflicts and evaluates the level of harmony or discord within the country. The index measures the peacefulness of countries with 23 quantitative and qualitative indicators each weighted on a scale of 1-5. The lower the score the more peaceful the country.

The Global Peace Index can be referenced by individuals on matters related to travel, relocation, or investment, but on a larger scale it also helps world organizations identify areas for potential peace-keeping intervention. It has been endorsed by figures such as the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, and former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Top 10 Safest and Peaceful Countries in the World 2022/2023

Most Peaceful Countries In The World

Most Dangerous Countries in the World 2022/2023

At the other end of the scale, Iraq, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen, and Afghanistan were ranked as the least peaceful countries. Ukraine ranked 143 on the 2021 Global Peace Index, while Russia came in at 154. Of course, the 2021 Index does not factor in some recent developments, including the war Ukraine and Russia.

These countries will not come as a surprise to many and they are on few people's bucket lits.

Here are the list of 10 most dangerous countries in the world on the list of 163 countries:

154 Russia 2.993

155 Central African Republic 3.131

156 Libya 3.166

157 Democratic Republic of the Congo 3.196

158 Somalia 3.211

159 Iraq 3.257

160 South Sudan 3.363

161 Syria 3.371

162 Yemen 3.407

163 Afghanistan 3.631

Although the impact of terrorism and conflict have fallen over the past six years, the level of civil and political unrest has risen. The number of violent demonstrations rose in 61 countries since 2008, and fell in just 27 countries. There was a 244 per cent increase globally in riots, general strikes, and anti-government demonstrations between 2011 and 2019. There is currently no sign that this trend is abating.

In 2021 the Ongoing Conflict domain improved for the first time since 2015, with falls in the total number of conflicts fought, and a decrease in the overall intensity of internal conflict. Twenty-one countries improved on internal conflicts fought, while only one deteriorated. However, although the total number of conflict-related deaths has been falling for the past six years, the total number of conflicts and deaths is still much higher than a decade ago. Since 2010, the number of conflicts globally has increased by 88 per cent.

Violence continues to have a significant impact on the world’s economic performance. In the ten countries most affected by violence, the average economic impact of violence was equivalent to 36 per cent of GDP, compared to just under four per cent in the countries least affected by violence. Syria, South Sudan, Afghanistan, and the Central African Republic incurred the largest proportional economic cost of violence in 2020, equivalent to 82, 42, 40, and 37 per cent of GDP, respectively.

Violence remains one of the most pressing issues for people globally. This year’s report looks at the newly released Lloyd’s Register Foundation World Risk Poll which examines attitudes towards risk and violence across 145 countries. The poll found that violence is cited as the biggest risk to daily safety in nearly a third of countries, and is the second most cited risk globally behind road accidents. Worldwide, over 60 per cent of people are at least somewhat worried about sustaining serious harm from violent crime.

The country that recorded the highest fear of violence was Brazil, where nearly 83 per cent of Brazilians were very worried about being a victim of violent crime. However, the experience of violence is greatest in Namibia, where 63 per cent of the population experienced serious harm from violence, or known someone who had in the previous two years. Feelings of safety deteriorated the most in Lebanon. Just over 81 per cent of Lebanese people feel that the world was less safe in 2019 compared to 2014.