New Zealand has been named as the country most at peace in 2009, followed by Denmark and Norway. Last year New Zealand ranked third in the Global Peace Index.

The report’s authors say New Zealand’s rise to the top of the Index is partly explained by a higher score for political stability, following the November 2008 election of a new coalition government.

The centre-right National Party, they write, “has a strong popular mandate and a robust parliamentary majority by New Zealand’s standards, putting the new prime minister, John Key, in a good position to push through his agenda.”

Iceland, which was in first place last year, has slipped to fourth because of a deterioration in political stability and perceived criminality following the notorious banking collapse in late 2008.

The index is made up of 23 indicators which include military expenditure, relations with neighbouring countries, homicide rate, and respect for human rights.

Global Peace Index rankings:

The full report is available here. (Opens new window with pdf document 743 KB.)