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Which 15 countries have the least violent armed forces in the world?

Meg Murphy Feb 7, 2015
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It seems like Japan is winning at everything these days, first with being selected to host the 2020 Olympic Games, then with Tokyo being chosen as the safest city in the world (and Osaka a close third!). Now, Japan has been ranked by the Global Peace Index (GPI) as having one of the top 15 least violent armed forces in the world. Did your country make the list too? Check after the jump to find out!

The GPI collects data from countries all over the world and looks at 22 different indicators, including each nation’s military expenditures, relations with neighboring countries, and percentage of prison population, to determine each nation’s level of peacefulness.

Europe pretty much dominated the list, while countries in the Middle East, such as Afghanistan and Iraq, were ranked the least peaceful. The United States didn’t fare so well either. In fact, out of 162 countries, the US only came in at 101st place.

But now, let’s take a look at the countries who set sterling non-violent examples!

15. Australia

Our friends down under have a lot going for them, topping rankings for high quality of life, health, and education. They have the 13th largest defense budget, and their military is involved in peacekeeping and disaster relief. They also offer assistance to around 60 countries through their international aid program. Way to help your neighbors out, guys!

14. Slovenia

Neighbors with Italy, Austria, and Croatia, Slovenia not only gets to boast about its spot on the GPI list, but also about its education system, which is ranked 12th in the world and 4th in the European Union. Their military is used mainly for peacekeeping, and has been deployed to Kosovo, Bosnia, and Afghanistan.

13. Ireland

It wasn’t just the luck of the Irish that got the Emerald Isle on the list of the top 15. Like Slovenia, Ireland’s military is used mostly for peacekeeping missions, or to defend itself against attack.

12. Sweden

Though some of our Swedish friends have displayed some rather violent cooking techniques, the Scandinavian country remains a peaceful one on the whole, its foreign policy allowing it to stay neutral in times of war.

11. Czech Republic

Nestled between Germany, Poland, Slovakia, and Austria, the central European nation comes in at number 11. A member of NATO since 1999, the Czech republic outlawed compulsory military service in 2004, and while they have soldiers on missions in Afghanistan and Kosovo, the country only spends 1.8% of its GDP on defense.

10. Norway

Sweden’s neighbor to the west on the Scandinavian Peninsula has also claimed a spot in the top 15. Ranked as the world’s second wealthiest nation, Norway can also boast of having among the highest standards of living, and regularly contributes to UN and NATO missions.

9. Belgium

This small European nation has brought the world much joy with its many culinary delights. Not only can we thank them for their delicious chocolates and beer, we can also thank them for their participation in UN peacekeeping missions.

8. Japan

The only Asian country to make the list is RocketNews24’s own home of Japan. The third largest economy in the world, Japan has roughly half the population of the United States crammed onto a landmass about the size of the state of California. Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution outlaws war as a means to settle international disputes, so the Japan Self-Defense Forces is aimed at peacekeeping and internal defense.

7. Canada

The second largest country in the world in terms of landmass, Canada has ranked far better on the GPI than its neighbor to the south. As with Australia, Canada also ranks high in terms of quality of life and education, and the Canadian Armed Forces are largely utilized for peacekeeping.

6. Finland

Always ahead of the game as far as human rights, Finland can also tout its excellent quality of life. While all Finnish males are required to serve at least 165 in the nation’s military, the Defence Forces are mostly utilized on peacekeeping missions for the UN, EU, and NATO.

5. Switzerland

Always a peaceful nation, Switzerland maintains a policy of neutrality, much like Sweden, to keep its armed forces out of conflicts in other nations. Their defense budget is only 0.8% of their GDP, to boot.

4. New Zealand

Back to the South Pacific, the defense forces of this beautiful group of islands works primarily on overseas peacekeeping for the UN. Kiwi residents are also well-educated, thanks to their well-developed education system, and well-versed in all things Middle Earth (okay, so probably not that last bit…).

3. Austria

And we’re back to Europe again with beautiful, mountainous Austria. Located to the southeast of Germany, Austria has given the world many of its classical music composers. While the Austrian Armed Forces are currently present in small numbers in Kosovo, Lebanon, Bosnia, and Herzegovina, they are generally not involved in foreign missions.

2. Denmark

Among other things, Denmark is known for its generosity in world aid, its defense force focused on peacekeeping missions and helping the development of international human rights.

1. Iceland

This island nation tops the list of most peaceful militaries, and it’s no wonder, seeing as how their military contains no standing army and only has roughly 200 active personal at a time. They also have an unarmed peacekeeping force for dealing with international conflict. Iceland is a fairly progressive country in many aspects, and women make up a large portion of the government.

Sources: TheRichest via Karapaia, Institute for Economics and Peace
Top image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net/worradmu
Insert images: Wikipedia/Miran Rebrec, Wikipedia/Jordy Meow, Wikipedia/Andreas Tille (edited by RocketNews24)