Iceland has been ranked the world’s most peaceful country by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) on their annual Global Peace Index (GPI). This is the 18th year running that Iceland leads these rankings. The GPI is a composite index measuring the peacefulness of countries, made up of 23 quantitative and qualitative indicators, each weighed on a scale from 1 to 5. The lower the score, the more peaceful the country.
The GPI is the world’s learing measure of global peacefulness, covering 99.7% of the world’s population, and measures the state of peace across three domains:
- the level of Societal Safety and Security,
- the extent of Ongoing Domestic and International Conflict,
- the degree of Militarisation
Global Peacefulness Declining
The 2025 Global Peace Index (GPI) reveals a continuing decline in global peacefulness, with many key indicators that precede major conflicts at their highest level since World War II. Rising conflict deaths and increased geopolitical tensions are among the driving forces of this change.
Which Factors Explain Iceland’s Position?
Iceland has no army of its own, navy or air force and the smallest population of any NATO member state (about 400,000 people). Furthermore, the country has record-low crime rates (to the extent that policemen generally don’t carry firearms), an enviable education and welfare system, and ranks among the best nations in terms of jobs and earnings and subjective sense of well-being.
- See also: Iceland: The world’s ‘most peaceful country’ is the perfect holiday destination for our turbulent times (The Telegraph)
Other contributing factors are a small and a relatively homogenous population, strong cultural unity and a long standing policy of neautrality and diplomacy.
