Top 10 peaceful countries of the world

The word peace holds enormous serenity. But it is difficult to find it in this dynamic and ever changing world where crime and corruption are widespread. Despite all the negative social forces some countries are still able to hold aloft the crown of peaceful nations. This was revealed by a recent publication of the Institute of Economics & Peace titled "Global Peace Index" which ranked the nations high based on 22 different indicators, including level of violent crime, relations with neighbouring countries, absence of war, contribution to U.N peace-keeping mission, schooling etc.

According to the publication Iceland occupies the top position as the most peaceful nation in the world. Reasons thereof are: promoting democracy and gender equality and low imprisonment. In addition, women's participation is noticeable in every sector of the nation. The most interesting fact about Iceland is that education is free and literacy rate is 99 per cent. Another interesting fact is there is no mosquito in Iceland as mosquitoes cannot survive in the cool climate of the country. New Zealand is ranked next as the Kiwis have been able to achieve considerable social progress, develop friendly relations with neighbours, establish strong and independent judiciary and allocate enormously to the healthcare sector.

New Zealand is followed up by Portugal which made significant progress over the years in matters of resolving internal conflicts, maintaining law and order, and reducing rate of crime and violence. Citizen-friendly and transparent tax policy and low living cost make Portugal a peaceful country to live in.

Surprisingly the fourth place goes to Austria. It is one of the most peaceful and beautiful nations to live in because of its cleanliness and strict recycling law to protect the environment. Its per capita GDP, high standard of living and transportation facilities give its citizens pleasure and serenity for living peacefully.

Denmark, one of the most beautiful nations in the world is a country of most decent and loyal citizens. It is a nation where corruption is minimal and women empowerment is getting stronger everyday. Furthermore high literacy rate, advanced healthcare systems, high standard of living have made Denmark one of the best nations to live with freedom and in prosperity. Most interesting fact about Denmark is that people of Copenhagen are likely to use bi-cycle or prefer to walk rather than using vehicles. They have the vision to make the city carbon-neutral by the year 2025.

These are the top five most peaceful nations in the world. Czech Republic, Slovenia, Canada, Switzerland and Japan occupy the positions from 6 to 10 respectively.

Faharia Rashid

Agargaon, Dhaka

[email protected]