According to this year's edition of an annual report from the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), Botswana, Kuwait, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Angola, and Burkina Faso all have one surprising thing in common: They are more peaceful than the US. The Global Peace Index from the IEP compiles yearly rankings of peacefulness in 162 nations based on 23 different types of data. The IEP attempts to answer a simple question: Is the world getting more or less peaceful? While the most peaceful nations in the world are growing more peaceful, with some reaching historic highs, the least peaceful countries are descending further into chaos and war. The report also includes an analysis of the economic impact of containing and dealing with the consequences of global violence. Last year violence containment was estimated to cost $14.3 trillion, which is approximately 13.4% of the world's gross domestic product. HERE'S A LOOK AT THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE REPORT (AND HERE'S THE FULL REPORT): SEE ALSO: THE 10 MOST REPUTABLE CITIES IN THE WORLD EUROPE IS HOME TO THE MAJORITY OF THE WORLD'S MOST PEACEFUL NATIONS. Of the 20 most peaceful countries in the world, 15 are located in Europe. Greece rose 22 places, and the United Kingdom rose eight, after diminishing their military presence in Afghanistan. MEANWHILE, THE US RANKED 94TH OUT OF 162 NATIONS. The US sits in the middle tier of the ranking because of long-running international military campaigns, unparalleled levels of incarceration and homicide, and colossal military spending. NATIONS LIKE VIETNAM AND KOSOVO THAT WERE MIRED IN UGLY CONFLICTS YEARS AGO HAVE BOUNCED BACK AND BECOME RELATIVELY PEACEFUL. See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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