Not starting wars with other countries and maintaining a solid human rights record has landed New Zealand at the top of the list of the world’s most peaceful nations. Based on the Global Peace Index created by the group Vision of Humanity, New Zealand was No. 1 after taking into consideration “23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from respected sources” which were used to judge a total of 144 nations. Among the factors considered were how much a nation spends on its military, its relations with neighboring countries and its level of respect for human rights.

The United States ranked 83rd.

At the very bottom of the list were the two countries that have consumed American foreign policy for the past eight years: Afghanistan (143rd) and Iraq (144th).
                                                                                                                                                        -Noel Brinkerhoff

Global Peace Index Rankings (Vision of Humanity)