New Zealand has been ranked the 2nd most peaceful country in the world. According to the 2011 Global Peace Index (GPI), the only country more peaceful than New Zealand is Iceland. The GPI ranks countries by their ‘absence of violence.’ It takes many factors into account including levels of violent crime, potential for terrorism, political stability and number of wars fought. In 2009 and 2010, NZ was ranked 1st. NZ has been in the top 5 most peaceful countries every year since the GPI began in 2007.
The GPI’s 5 most peaceful countries in 2011 were:
| Rank | Country |
|---|---|
| 1 | Iceland |
| 2 | New Zealand |
| 3 | Japan |
| 4 | Denmark |
| 5 | Czech Republic |
Written by Hannah Robinson at Languages International
Photo credit: Hapal
