SYDNEY, June 8 (UPI) -- New Zealand, for the second year in a row, has been ranked as the country most at peace, the fourth annual Global Peace Index indicates.
Based on a spectrum of 23 indicators, the United States is ranked as the 85th most peaceful nation on earth, placing it in the upper half of the 149-nation list, Vision of Humanity reported Tuesday.
Following New Zealand at the top of the list are Iceland, Japan, Austria, Norway, Ireland, Denmark, Luxembourg, Finland and Sweden.
All five Scandinavian countries are in the top 10 of the Global Peace Index.
For the fourth year running, the country ranked least at peace is Iraq.
Afghanistan, Somalia and Sudan follow Iraq as the least peaceful nations.
The 149 countries on the Global Peace Index account for 99 percent of the world's population.
The index is a product of the Institute for Economics and Peace.
