Singapore dropped one spot from last year to ranked eighth, retaining its crown as Asia's most peaceful country with low crime rates, political stability, and high levels of public safety.
Japan rose three ranks to place 10th thanks to its low levels of violent crime, stable institutions, and limited involvement in international conflicts.
Released by the Institute for Economics & Peace this month, the annual peace index assesses 163 countries and territories based on 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators to measure the state of peace across three domains: the level of societal safety and security, the extent of ongoing domestic and international conflict, and the degree of militarization.
Iceland was named the world's safest country for the 19th consecutive year after achieving a score of 1.161 on a scale ranging from 1 to 5, where lower scores indicate higher levels of peace.
New Zealand ranked second, followed by Switzerland, Slovenia, and Ireland.
