Canada was named one of the most peaceful countries — and it beat the US by over 100 spots

If you're looking at the best countries in the world to live in right now — especially ones that offer safety, stability and a high quality of life — then staying put in Canada might actually be one of your best options.

According to the newly released 2025 Global Peace Index from the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), Canada is one of the most peaceful countries on Earth — and it was ranked way higher than the United States.

Like, over 100 spots higher. Let that sink in.

The IEP's annual Global Peace Index global ranking looks at everything from violent crime and political instability to military spending and international relations.

For this year's edition, it ranked 163 countries in total — and despite a slight slip, Canada still cracked the top 15 globally.

The index, now in its 19th year, is based on 23 indicators across three broad categories: societal safety and security, domestic and international conflict, and militarization. That includes data on crime rates, terrorist activity, political instability, weapon imports and more.

The 2025 edition found that peacefulness around the world is actually getting worse. The report notes that global peace has now declined for the sixth year in a row — with the number of active conflicts and conflict-related deaths reaching post–World War II highs.

"Global peacefulness has deteriorated every year since 2014, with 100 countries worsening over the last decade," the IEP points out.

Canada is no exception — it slipped five spots in the ranking this year, officially sitting in a tie for 14th place, sharing the spot with the Netherlands.

Meanwhile, the U.S. landed at 128th — deep in the "low" peace category, sandwiched between Kenya and Ecuador. That's not just a gap — it's a canyon.

According to the IEP, Canada continues to stand out for its low levels of militarization and its relatively peaceful role in global conflicts. It ranked 22nd globally in militarization and tied for 26th in the ongoing conflict category.

But the ranking also noted some areas where we're slipping — particularly in violent crime and our increasingly frosty relationship with the U.S.

And while Canada still leads Central and North America, our peacefulness score actually took the biggest hit in the region this year, deteriorating by 5.8%.

"Political tensions have intensified between Canada and the United States under the second Trump administration," the IEP explains, pointing to new tariffs and a spike in violent crime as key issues. Still, Canada remains the most peaceful country in the region by a long shot.

The U.S., on the other hand, trailed far behind in all three domains. It ranked No. 162 — second last in the entire world — for militarization, sandwiched between North Korea and Israel. Yikes.

The U.S. also took 116th place in the conflict category, and landed at 79th for societal safety and security. It's a sobering look at how far our neighbours to the south have drifted from peaceful norms, even among developed nations.

So while the U.S. continues to deal with ongoing unrest, political division and one of the world's highest levels of military expenditure, Canada is still cruising in relative calm — even if we've hit a few bumps along the way.

Here are the top 15 most peaceful countries in the world right now, and their peacefulness scores according to the 2025 Global Peace Index (where 1 is the best possible score and 5 is the worst):

1. Iceland — 1.095
2. Ireland — 1.260
3. New Zealand — 1.282
4. Austria — 1.294
4. Switzerland — 1.294
6. Singapore — 1.357
7. Portugal — 1.371
8. Denmark — 1.393
9. Slovenia — 1.409
10. Finland — 1.420
11. Czechia — 1.435
12. Japan — 1.440
13. Malaysia — 1.469
14. Canada — 1.491
14. Netherlands — 1.491

So while we might not have cracked the top 10 this time, we're still among the most peaceful nations on earth — and we're doing a whole lot better than our southern neighbours.

Sorry, not sorry!

Love this? Check out our Narcity noticeboard for details on jobs, benefits, travel info and more!

AI tools may have been used to support the creation or distribution of this content; however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of Narcity's Editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our Editorial Standards page.