As of June 2017, what country in the world is considered the most peaceful according to a global index?

As of June 2017, Europe remains the most peaceful geographic region in the world despite terrorist attacks in some European countries. The country in the world which is considered the most peaceful according to a global index that was published by the Institute for Economics and Peace (a global think tank headquartered in Sydney, Australia with branches in New York City, Mexico City and The Hague) is Iceland. Iceland topped the list with the lowest score, or peace index, making it the most peaceful country on earth. The Institute for Economics and Peace scored 163 independent states and territories according to their levels of peacefulness. Iceland was able to keep a title that it has held since 2008.

Researchers considered 23 peace indicators to determine scores. The indicators included the number of casualties from terrorism and conflicts in that country, the number of murders per capita, and the ratio of military spending to gross domestic product. Each indicator was scored on a 5-point scale. Eighty countries over the last decade have improved their standing on the index, while 83 countries have gone down (deteriorated) on the index. Guyana, Argentina, Peru, and Paraguay have seen improvement. The United States, Denmark, Libya, and Switzerland faced ranking deterioration.

The biggest regional deterioration was seen in North America. It occurred with the U.S. and is largely viewed as a result of the polarizing 2016 U.S. presidential election.