Today many parts of our world are affected by violence and unrest. Fortunately there are some countries which are relatively more peaceful.

It is indeed a challenge to measure peace because it is not something tangible. Global Peace Index (GPI), a product of the Institute of Economics and Peace (IEP), is an attempt to measure the relative position of countries’ and regions’ peacefulness.

As per GPI, here are the top 20 Most Peaceful countries in the world as of 2015.

20.Czech Republic

Czech Republic is a developed country with an advanced high income economy. This Central European country is famous for its beautiful capital Prague. The peaceful nation attracts many tourists from all parts of the world.

19.Hungary

This landlocked Central European nation is a member of the EU, NATO, OECD, Visegrad Group and Schengen Area. Hungary is a democratic parliamentary republic. This upper middle income nation enjoys a very high Human Development Index (HDI).

18.Portugal

Southern European country Portugal has become a peaceful haven for wealthy European retirees. This developed nation maintains a unitary semi-presidential republic form of government.

17.Netherlands

Netherlands was one of the first nations in the world to have an elected parliament. This beautiful country has a long history of social tolerance. In 2013, the United Nations World Happiness Report ranked Netherlands as the fourth happiest country in the world.

16.Bhutan

Landlocked South Asian country Bhutan is a member of the UN and SAARC. The nation has one decentralized university with 11 constituent collages spread across the nation.

15.Australia

Australia is a developed country. It ranks highly in quality of life, health, education, protection of civil liberties, economic freedom and protection of political rights. Australia has good relations with many countries worldwide.

14.Slovenia

Central European country Slovenia is a safe nation. Out of a total population of 2 million, only 1,000 people are in prison. According to many experts, it is a great country to bring up your kids. It is a member of the EU and NATO.

13.Ireland

Ireland is a member of the EU. It is among the wealthiest nations in the world. Ireland’s military expenditure is just around 1 percent of its GDP.

12.Sweden

Scandinavian country Sweden has not taken part in a war since 1814. It celebrated 200 years of peace in 2014. Sweden has low level of robberies, only around 9,000 a year. The number is 350,000 in the US.

11.Slovakia

Slovakia is a peaceful country. People of this Central European nation are kind and helpful. Slovakia is a high-income, advanced economy. It is a parliamentary democratic republic.

10.Denmark

Denmark is a sovereign state. Danes enjoy a high standard of living. Denmark is a founding member of the UN, NATO, OECD, Nordic Council and OSCE. The nation ranks high in protection of civil liberties, healthcare, education, democratic governance, human development and prosperity.

9.Canada

Canada has warm relations with many nations worldwide. The nation has good human rights record. Canada is a federal parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy. It is a developed country. It is a member of G8 and OECD.

8.Japan

Japan was rated the most peaceful country in Asia in 2014. Japan has officially renounced its right to declare war. It is using its military for self-defense and for peacekeeping purposes. Japanese enjoy high life expectancy.

7.Belgium

Western European country Belgium is one of the best and safest places to live in Europe. Education is compulsory from 6 to 18 years for Belgians. The average life expectancy is 79.65 years. Belgium is a member of NATO and has a strongly globalized economy.

6.Norway

Norway maintains a combination of market economy and a Nordic welfare model with universal healthcare and a comprehensive social security system. Norway had the highest HDI from 2001 to 2006 and again from 2009 to 2014.

5.Austria

When it comes to peace and prosperity, Central European country Austria is definitely doing well. This federal republic has developed a high standard of living. Some people call Austria a piece of heaven on earth. It is one of the richest countries in the world. It has been a member of the UN since 1955.

4.Finland

Over the past few years, Finland’s military involvement has only been with UN peacekeeping missions. The nation’s peacekeeping troops are 100 percent volunteer based and have contributed to operations worldwide. Newsweek chose Finland as the best nation in the year 2010.

3.Switzerland

Central European nation Switzerland has a long history of armed neutrality. The nation has not been in a state of war internationally since 1815. Switzerland pursues an active foreign policy and is involved in peace building processes around the world. This wonderful country is the birthplace of Red Cross.

2.New Zealand

New Zealand is a safe and peaceful country. This island country scores high in criteria like respect for human rights and ranked #7 for Human Development Index (HDI) with a score of 0.910. New Zealand is well-known for its low homicide rate and limited violent demonstrations. The nation has a modern, prosperous and developed market economy.

1.Iceland

Iceland is the most peaceful country in the world. Population density is low; around 329,000 people live in 103,000 square kilometer area. This Nordic island nation has a free-market economy. It provides universal healthcare and tertiary education for its citizens. Iceland ranks highly in political and social stability and equality. It does not have a standing army. Iceland is a member of NATO and generally has a free market economy.

These countries are excellent role models for other countries all over the world.