Sri Lanka has been ranked 107th in world based on the 2023 Global Peace Index published by the Institute for Economics and Peace.
Sri Lanka was ranked 90th in the 2022 Index and due to a number of factors, the country has dropped down in the rankings.
Published by the Institute for Economics and Peace, the international study measures the safety and peacefulness of a country using an index of 23 qualitative and quantitative factors.
These include the country’s crime rate, levels of violence and demonstrations, access to weapons, political stability, military expenditure, relationship with neighboring countries, and more.
Iceland has remained the most peaceful country in the world since the study was first released in 2008.
It also ranks as the third happiest country in the world, after Finland and Denmark.
More than 60% of the country’s population lives in the capital city of Reykjavik, according to National Geographic.
In Iceland, school is free for all Icelanders through college, and every student is taught to speak Danish and English.
Meanwhile, Denmark has been ranked the second most peaceful country in the world.
Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen, is home to institutions such as the Copenhagen Stock Exchange and serves as a hub connecting Northern Europe with the rest of the world, according to U.S. News and World Report.
Although people living in Denmark pay some of the world’s highest taxes, up to half of their income, it is for a reason.
Due to the high taxes, Denmark can offer its citizens most healthcare options with no fee, university students pay no tuition and receive a grant to help cover expenses while studying, childcare is subsidized, and the elderly receive pensions and are provided with care helpers who visit them at home, according to the country’s website.
Ireland rounds out the top three. Ireland is known for its lush, green fields hence its nickname, Emerald Isle, according to National Geographic.
Ireland’s population has increased by 10 percent in the last decade, according to a report released by the Central Statistics Office.
According to the index, Bhutan is the most peaceful country in the South Asian region.
Sri Lanka’s neighbor India is ranked 126th while Pakistan is in 146th on the list.
Afghanistan is the least peaceful nation according to the index.
Ukraine and Russia are ranked 157th and 158th respectively on the 2023 Global Peace Index published by the Institute for Economics and Peace.