Though it is true that there are crimes everywhere, still some countries are more peaceful and safer than others. Unfortunately, that isn’t what we are mostly hearing about. When we watch (or read) the news, all we see is murder, disaster, acts of terrorism and it’s getting pretty tiring, don’t you agree? Hence, to start the new year, I’m giving you something different to read about. Let’s take a look at the 2017 safest and peaceful countries in the world while hoping that it even gets better this year.
The list below is based on The Global Peace Index. According to their studies (and you will be glad to know this), there has been an overall improvement in the 2017 peace index as 93 countries became more peaceful while 68 deteriorated. The same as the year before, the European region gets the lion’s share of the top ten most peaceful countries in the world as they get 8/10. The North American region’s peace score has deteriorated mostly because of the USA, which is sad for Canada because it more than offset their improvement. Anyway, without further ado, here are the 10 safest and peaceful countries in the world as of 2017.
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Iceland
Still ranking as the most peaceful country in the world, Iceland has a peace score of 1.111. This country has been topping the rank board for a few years now and it’s not just the most peaceful country, it is also the cleanest and most hygienic. Plan on migrating yet?
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New Zealand
Taking the number 2 spot on the ranking is New Zealand making it an ideal place to visit. They even have the Accident Compensation Corporation which can help tourists with their medical expense in an event of an accident.
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Portugal
With an overall peace score of 1.258, ranking at number 3 is Portugal which is the second European country on our list. This country also happens to be one of the best retirement countries according to a survey. What’s more is, Portuguese passports are one of the most affordable yet efficacious as it provides the Visa on Arrival facility to about 141-172 countries.
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Austria
Austria, though it went down the ranking by one (compared to the 2016 peace ranking), is still among the mainstays of the safest and peaceful countries list with a global peace score of 1.265. Also located in Central Europe, it is home to some of the world-renowned classical artists such as Mozart, Strauss, and Freud.
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Denmark
Scoring an overall peace score of 1.337, Denmark is 3 steps down from where it was before in terms of ranking. The country is also among the top 20 safest countries for women. One popular commendable notion about Denmark is its gender equality and almost no discrimination.
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The Czech Republic
Still at number six, with a 1.36 peace score is the Czech Republic. Although known for its native beer, there is lesser alcohol inflicted crimes here than the rest of other countries. It also is a very hygienic country with an initiative. I say this because aside from joining the global movement towards cleanliness and abolishment of illegal waste disposal, it even initiated its own movement called “Let’s do it world clean up”.
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Slovenia
Made it 3 steps higher than it’s 11th ranking the year before, they have shown a very big improvement with an overall score of 1.364. A very exotic place to visit, it has redeemed itself from it human trafficking days.
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Canada
Still at number 8, Canada has maintained its peacefulness a long time. Unfortunately for Canada though, its ally country USA, had some deterioration in their peace score that it pulled the Northern American region down in spite of Canada’s hard work.
At number 9 is Switzerland which is known for its citizen’s honesty and sovereignty. Of course, there’s also their main industries which are banking and finance plus their world-renowned chocolates and watches.
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Japan & Ireland
Both at number 10 are Japan & Ireland. Japan being the only country on the list that is in Asia, this is a big achievement.