It seems the world is on fire these days. Not literally, of course (although quite literally in some places). But between systemic racism, lack of gun control, famine, war, death and destruction, it’s impossible to turn the news on without feeling dismayed about the state of society.
That’s why we wanted to celebrate a bit of positive news and look at the countries that are ranked the most peaceful in the world. Each year, the Institute for Economics & Peace releases the Global Peace Index, which is a report that identifies 163 independent states and territories and ranks them on peace. For this report, peace is measured on a variety of factors, including domestic and international conflict involvement, crime rate, stability, peacekeeping missions, access to weapons and overall quality of life for citizens.
Some of the nations on this list won’t come as a shock to you, but others may have you wondering if perhaps now is the time to start packing your bags to go visit overlooked peaceful nations scattered all across the world. Here are the 55 most peaceful countries, ranked.
What Makes Mongolia So Peaceful
Although Mongolia is famous for its fierce conqueror, Genghis Khan, the country actually spent the majority of the last four centuries under Chinese rule. Once it declared independence in the early 20th century, it became a satellite state of Russia until the 1990s.
Since then, few major conflicts have afflicted the nation, which is one of the most sparsely populated in the world. While almost half of its people live in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, a large part of the population is still semi-nomadic, upholding a traditional way of life. Visitors are welcome in many nomad camps, an experience that attracts many people to the country.
What Makes Qatar So Peaceful
This tiny nation on the Persian Gulf has had an explosion of development in the 21st century. Qatar is fabulously wealthy, mostly thanks to the generous amount of oil found within its territory. It has avoided the conflicts that have plagued many of its neighbors and has used its wealth to develop its quality of life as much as it does its cities.
Healthcare, for example, is free and of great quality. Safety is high, with crimes being very rare. In terms of gender equality, Qatar is one of the more progressive countries of the region, with women being able to participate freely in elections and public affairs. That said, freedom of speech and press are limited, and it is illegal to speak ill of the ruling family.
The country also came under backlash during the 2022 World Cup due to alleged exploitation and unfair labor practices.
What Makes Tanzania So Peaceful
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Tanzania is ranked one of the 10 most peaceful countries in Africa, but a recent upheaval served as a reminder that keeping peace must be an ongoing effort. Tanzania’s last president, John Pombe Magufuli, died on March 17, 2021. This could easily have been an opportunity for chaos to break out, but the transition of power to the new president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, went smoothly.
Tanzania is famously home to Mount Kilimanjaro, a bucket-list item for every diehard mountaineer. It also holds the treasured Lake Tanganyika, the second largest lake in the world.
