Report finds world is more violent with just 10 countries at peace

Distressingly the world is now a more dangerous place, astoundingly there are now only ten nations that can be considered totally free from any form of conflict. Most of this small countries have relatively small populations.

The annual study from the Institute for Economics and Peace looks at 23 factors, including access to weapons, violent crime, political instability and military expenditure for 163 countries.

Syria, which is consumed by violence from both ISIS and its ongoing civil war, placed last on the list. Nearly half a million people have been killed in the civil war since it began in 2011.

Thanks to a lack of militarization and conflicts both domestic and abroad, Iceland was named the world’s most peaceful country.

The U.S. failed to crack the top 100, coming in at 103. The index estimated violence cost the U.S. over $2 trillion.

Broadening the scope, Europe was the most peaceful region in the world yet again, though its a bit less safe than last year due to a recent wave of terrorist attacks, like the ones in Paris.

Unsurprisingly, the Middle East and North Africa ranked as the most dangerous region in the world with five of the 10 least peaceful nations. The study’s authors note that if that region were omitted, the world as a whole would’ve improved its score.

Agencies/Canadajournal