The world's safest and most dangerous countries have been ranked, but where does NZ stand? Photo / Roady
The world's safest and most dangerous countries have been ranked, but where does NZ stand? Photo / Roady
New Zealand has been ranked fourth safest country in the world in 2023 by a yearly study that ranks 163 independent territories according to their level of peacefulness.
The study - named the Global Peace Index - was produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace. The Index covers 99.7 per cent of the population and analyses “societal safety and security, domestic and international conflict and the degree of militarisation”.
The investigation revealed that Iceland was the safest country overall - however the results’ publication preceded the current volcanic activity - and was followed by Denmark (second), Ireland (third) and New Zealand (fourth), reports Daily Mail.
Last year, New Zealand ranked in second place but was overtaken in 2023 by Denmark and Ireland.
This year, Australia ranked 22nd in the study and the UK came in at 37th place on the list of safest places.
The US ranks 131st yet again, just behind South Africa in 130th place and Haiti in 129th.
Iceland came in top spot in the study. Photo / Tiana Templeman
Afghanistan (163rd) has been dubbed the least peaceful country in the world for the eighth year in a row, followed by Yemen (162nd), Syria (161st), South Sudan (160th) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (159th).
The authors of the study said: “The war in Ukraine had a significant impact on global peacefulness, with Ukraine and Russia having the largest and fifth largest deteriorations in peacefulness respectively. Haiti, Mali, and Israel were the other countries with the largest deteriorations [note that the study also preceded the current conflict in Israel].”
Europe is the most peaceful region in the world, according to the study, and is home to seven of the ten safest countries. The other three most peaceful countries are in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is still the world’s least peaceful region, the report reveals. It is home to four of the ten most dangerous countries.
The report adds: “There are only two countries in the North American region, with Canada [11th] recording a 2.9 per cent increase in peacefulness, and the U.S experiencing a slight fall in peacefulness, with its overall score deteriorating by 0.38 per cent.
Denmark replaced New Zealand in second spot. Photo / The New York Times
“There is a considerable disparity in peacefulness between the two countries.”
Why you might ask? The study offered a possible reason to do with the safety felt by Canadians. “Less than 20 per cent of Canadians report that they do not feel safe walking alone at night in their city or neighbourhood.”
One reason for America’s low ranking in the study is the high murder rate, with the report revealing: “The United States recorded the fourth largest overall increase in its homicide rate, which is now above six per 100,000 people and more than six times higher than most Western European countries.”
