Iceland is the safest country in the world. This Nordic country of 340.000 people is ranked first by the Global Peace Index for a few good reasons. For example, there are no conflicts between social classes in Iceland which makes it a peaceful place to live in.
Iceland also has high living standards. While one of the most expensive countries in the world, it also allows its citizens to earn a high wage to live properly in the tiny island nation. There’s no military here but there is a police force walking its streets. Police officers in Iceland don’t carry guns, they don’t have to.
Education is always key
One of the most overlooked aspects of Iceland’s general peace is its high levels of education. There are no discussions about gender inequality here as both men and women are highly educated. Icelanders read more than any other nation on the planet. Sports are also part of daily life as a stress-reduction outlet.
Violent conflicts are rare in Iceland. As an island, there are no neighbors to argue with. But the history of the country also plays a role in its high levels of peace. When the Vikings discovered this island, it was entirely uninhabited. Some decided to stay and since it was uninhabited, there was no place for conflict on this land.
Political trust
The level of trust Icelanders have in their politicians is rising. However, the country isn’t as politicized as others in the Western world where citizens argue about political parties and strategies all of the time.
Politicians in Iceland were among the first to hold banks responsible for the latest worldwide economic crash. They took the matter into their own hands even before citizens requested it.
Low terrorist threat levels
Iceland is mostly a Christian country even if most of its residents aren’t practicing Christians. The Church of Iceland is Lutheran Christian and it holds around 64% of the parishes in the country. Levels of migration are generally low in Iceland.
Not many people flock to the island state due to its long winters which makes the outdoors hard to access during the cold winter months. As a result, the country’s population largely remains homogenous.
The largest city of Reykjavik is where most ethnic groups live. Outside of the city, there are barely any non-Icelanders to be found.
Iceland doesn’t have a military force. This means the country is not involved in direct conflicts abroad. Some of the countries with the highest terrorist threat levels have been involved in military conflicts and open war across the world. Icelanders are generally happy to live by their own rules and standards without interfering with other nations.
There’s a points system awarded by the Global Peace Index which offers Iceland 1.138 peace points. New Zealand is the second safest country in the world with a similar number of points and similar benefits such as being an island state also remote where ethnic diversity hasn’t created clashes between the people.
