Canada Ranks in Top 15 Safest Countries on Global Peace Index 2023
The Global Peace Index (GPI) is an annual report conducted by the Institute for Economics and Peace that measures the level of peace and stability in countries worldwide. In the latest 2023 report, Canada continues to rank among the top 15 most peaceful countries, with an overall score of 1.35 out of 5.
The composite index measures the peacefulness of countries comprised of 23 factors, each weighted on a scale of 1-5. The lower the score, the more peaceful the country.
This places Canada at number 11 out of 163 countries. Notably, Canada’s ranking has improved by one point compared to the previous year.
In comparison, the United States of America ranked 131st in the Global Peace Index, indicating a significant disparity between the two neighboring countries.
The United States has experienced the fourth largest surge in its homicide rate, now surpassing six per 100,000 people. This figure is 6 times higher than most Western European countries.
Canada’s peacefulness can be attributed to several factors, such as low levels of violent crime, a stable political climate and high levels of respect for human rights.
Less than 20% of Canadians feel unsafe walking alone at night in their city or neighborhood. The Militarization domain slightly worsened due to increased weapons exports. Canada is ranked among the top 25 countries with the highest levels of weapons exports per capita.
Iceland has maintained its top ranking in the Global Peace Index since 2008. However, Ukraine’s ranking has dropped the most significantly to seventh from the bottom due to the Russian invasion.
Denmark and Ireland secured the second and third positions, respectively. On the other hand, Syria, Yemen, and Afghanistan were ranked at the bottom.
Europe dominates the top 10, with Austria, Portugal, Slovenia, and Switzerland among the most peaceful countries.
In total, peacefulness improved in 84 countries and declined in 79.
