KATHMANDU: Nepal has been ranked 76th most peaceful country in the world, according to Global Peace Index 2019. Nepal has climbed by 12 notches.

The 13th edition of the report ranks 163 independent states and territories, according to their level of peacefulness.

Produced by the Australia-based Institute for Economics and Peace, the report measures the peacefulness according to factors such as military spending and deaths from conflict and terrorism, as well as an estimated economic cost of violence.

Iceland remains the most peaceful country in the world, a position it has held since 2008. It is joined at the top of the index by New Zealand, Austria, Portugal, and Denmark, with European nations dominating the top of the list.

The report ranked New Zealand the second place although researchers noted the impact of the March 15 Christchurch mosque attacks. It said New Zealand has improved in other aspects and gained “resilience” in dealing with disasters.

“New Zealand maintained or improved its scores in 22 out of 23 indicators but deteriorated in the impact of terrorism,” the report said, referring to the terror attacks that killed 51 people

Afghanistan is now the least peaceful country in the world, replacing Syria, which is now the second least peaceful one, the report said.

The report also claimed that the gap between the least and most peaceful countries “continues to grow”. Eighty-six countries improved their score in the 2019 report, while 76 deteriorated.

South Sudan, Yemen, and Iraq comprise the remaining five least peaceful countries, it said.

This is the first year since the inception of the index that Yemen has been ranked amongst the five least peaceful countries, the statement said. The report covers 99.7 percent of the world’s population and uses 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from highly respected sources to compile the index.

These indicators are grouped into three key domains — ongoing conflict, safety and security, and militarization, the IEP said. The IEP is an international and independent think tank dedicated to shifting the world’s focus to peace as a positive, achievable and tangible measure of human well-being and progress.

It has offices in Sydney, Brussels, New York, The Hague, Mexico City and Harare, the statement said.