Ireland is the second safest country in the world, new global survey claims
'Each of the top ten most peaceful countries are also some of the most popular tourist destinations in the world'
The UK has risen two places to take the number 30 spot
Ireland is the second safest country in the world, according to a new Global Peace Index study.
While there are a record 59 active state-based conflicts currently raging across the globe - the most since the end of WWII – Ireland is second only to Iceland at the top of the safe list.
According to the Global Peace Index, created by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), the world is facing a 'reshaping of the global order'.
One hundred countries have become less peaceful than they were a decade ago, but Ireland has retained its coveted second place slot that it held last year.
Iceland, which has once again claimed the most safe title, which it has held since 2008, tops the poll while New Zealand, Austria and Switzerland join Ireland in the top five.
All top five countries rank highly because they have resilient institutions, low corruption, and well-functioning infrastructure.
These are referred to as positive peace indicators, making them ideal destinations for travel.
Singapore comes next, with the rest of the top 10 made up of European countries including Portugal, Denmark, Slovenia and Finland.
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The UK is a good bit further down the list as 30th most peaceful country in the world, although it has risen two places in the index since 2024.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, both the USA and Russia fare badly with America falling to 128 out of 163 countries while the former Soviet Union is rated the world's least peaceful country with Ukraine, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Yemen all in the bottom five.
Researchers for the index take into consideration both internal and external peace indicators.
Internal incudes levels of violent crime and the number of murders and violent demonstrations, while external covers military expenditure, number of nuclear weapons and relations with neighbouring countries.
Iceland tops the poll
While Western and Central Europe is the most peaceful region in the world, 'Europe's security environment is undergoing a profound transformation'.
This is because Russia's invasion of Ukraine and 'diminishing US strategic focus' on the region means European countries are diverting funds from education and healthcare towards military expenditure
'The Russian threat is real and no individual European country comes close to Russia's military capability,' researchers added.
The Middle East and North African is the world's least peaceful, with 35 of 43 nations Sub-Saharan Africa engaged in conflict in the last five years.
According to the IEP, Kashmir, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Syria are the regions that are at highest risk of entering a major war.
The UK has risen two places to take the number 30 spot
South America is the only region to improve on its peacefulness scores since last year's index.
In 2020, Iceland was in first place, with New Zealand, Portugal, Austria, and Denmark rounding out the top five.
Canada, Singapore, the Czech Republic, Japan, and Switzerland were among the top ten that year.
Researchers make the point that if people are preoccupied with fighting or concerned about their lives, they cannot create art, build homes, run businesses, or host visiting families.
Steve Killelea, founder of the IEP, said: "We all want to relax when we're on holiday, and there is no better place to do so than in countries that are free of violence. This is one of the reasons why each of the top ten most peaceful countries are also some of the most popular tourist destinations in the world."
Killelea adds: "This should show governments that peace comes with substantial economic benefits, as well as improving the health and well-being of their citizens. So, next time you consider where to go on holiday, why don't you vote with your feet by choosing a peaceful country?"
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