The United States has fallen 10 spots in the last three years in the Global Peace Index, driven by a high degree of militarization and a rising homicide rate.

Iceland was named the most peaceful country in the world for the 15th consecutive year in the annual ranking compiled by the Institute for Economics & Peace on Wednesday, while the organization warned that militarization in the United States is steadily making the wealthiest country in the world less peaceful.

In its 2023 Global Peace Index, the group ranked 163 countries where 99.7% of the world’s population lives, determining how countries compare based on the level of “societal safety and security,” “ongoing domestic and international conflict,” and the degree of “militarization.”

Iceland had low rankings for each of the three categories and maintained its place at the top of the list, which it’s held every year the IEP has released the […]