Norway, New Zealand, Denmark, Ireland and Japan are the most peaceful countries in the world

Jonathan Tisdall:

The Intelligence Unit of the Economist magazine has named Norway the most peaceful country in the world.

The survey of 121 nations is backed by high profile names such as the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, and Jimmy Carter.

New Zealand, Denmark, Ireland and Japan occupy the spots just back Norway. Lowest in the survey are Nigeria, Russia, Israel, Sudan and Iraq. The USA is remarkably low on the Global Peace Index, at 96th.

An assessment of 24 different factors is behind the rating list, from the number of killings per capita, number of weapons, military spending, to the amount of organized crime and violent crime.

On the basis of their study, researchers reached the following conclusions; small, stable democracies that are part of a larger regional group, such as the European Union, score well; and economic living standards, education levels and regional integration are important.

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