There has been a discernible increase in world uncertainty in recent years. A number of events, including the Israel-Hamas war, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the COVID-19 pandemic, have all been major contributors to this change. These events have had a tremendous influence on many facets of society, upending societal structures and causing notable changes in both individual and collective behaviours.
According to the Global Peace Index (GPI) 2023, there has been a five percent decrease in average nation score during the last fifteen years, indicating a reduction in global peace. The average degree of peace throughout the world decreased by 0.42 percent this year, which is the thirteenth time in the previous fifteen years that peace has declined. 84 countries had improved their level of peace in 2022, while 79 had declined. Global peace was significantly influenced by the Ukrainian crisis, with Russia and Ukraine seeing the highest and fifth-worst declines in peace, respectively. Another nation that had a notable downturn was Israel.
The death toll from international conflicts increased by 96% to 238,000. According to recent research, the financial costs associated with worldwide violence increased by 17% to $1 trillion, reaching a total of $17.5 trillion in 2022—or 13% of the world’s gross domestic product. As a result, war situations are becoming more global; now, 91 nations are involved in various foreign conflicts, a significant increase from 58 in 2008.
However, the World Bank also notes that six nations that are well-known around the world for having low crime rates also score highly for ease of doing business. This suggests that low crime rates and business-friendly settings are positively correlated, as seen in countries like Singapore, Denmark, New Zealand, and others. Low crime rates contribute to peace and stability, which make these nations safe havens for foreign investors and promote the growth of industry leaders like Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG), Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), and Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), among others. On the other hand, some of the world’s most hazardous countries also have relatively difficult economies; the average person share of GDP in the world’s poorest countries is just $1,380, compared to over $105,000 in some of the richest countries.
The Global Peace Index (GPI) 2023 was our primary measure for creating our ranking of the 20 safest nations for US citizens to travel to. The Institute for Economics and Peace, an independent think tank dedicated to developing frameworks and measures for assessing world peace, publishes the GPI report once a year.
Incorporating 23 qualitative and quantitative variables, the GPI covers 163 nations, or 99.7% of the world’s population. It evaluates the status of peace in three areas: the degree of militarization, the magnitude of ongoing domestic and international conflict, and the degree of safety and security in society. On a scale of 1 to 5, the maximum safety level is represented by a score of 1, and the lowest by a score of 5, which is produced by the GPI by assigning scores to several indicators.
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Located in the South China Sea and spanning two separate areas, Malaysia is a small country experiencing rapid economic growth. After being ruled by the British, the nation is now home to more than 30 million people, many of whom reside in or near the bustling metropolis of Kuala Lumpur. With a score of 1.005 in this category, Malaysia is ranked 19th out of the 20 safest nations for US residents to travel to because of its comparatively lower risk of internal and international violence.
It should come as no surprise that Hungary, a country in central Europe, is regarded as one of the safest in the world given its low crime rates and high ranking on the Human Development Index. Furthermore, Hungary has consistently maintained its position as one of the world’s most peaceful countries, especially when it comes to militarization. Nevertheless, the nation’s standing has somewhat declined, falling from 13th in 2022 to 18th in 2023.