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Global Peace Index Identifies World's Most Safe and Dangerous Countries

Syria has been named as the most dangerous country in the world, while Iceland is the most peaceful, according to the 2016 Global Peace Index.

The Index is based on 23 different metrics, including factors like murder levels, perceptions of criminality, terrorism and military expenditure.The Index is part of research from think tank the Institute for Economic and Peace.

The United States ranks 103 out of 162.

Iceland's very low levels of political instability, murder, weapons exports and problems with neighbouring countries contribute to its first place ranking as the world's most peaceful countries, the Index said.

Nordic countries, along with Alpine nations like Austria and Switzerland, are represented highly in the top 10 most peaceful countries. Denmark is just behind Iceland, in second place, and Finland is in sixth.

In comparison, countries in the Middle East and Africa make up most of the bottom 10 on the list.

Worldwide, the Institute found that the cost of violence, in the way it affects GDP through military spending and violent crime, can be estimated at $14.3 trillion, or 13.4 percent of the world's GDP.

The most peaceful countries in the world: