VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam ranks 38th in the world on the Global Peace Index (GPI) of the Australia-based Institute for Economics and Peace.
The rankings are based on 23 criteria ranging from level of violence and military expenditures to ties between neighbors and respect for human rights.
By these criteria, Iraq is the most violent country in the world, followed by Somalia, Afghanistan, Sudan, Pakistan, Israel and Congo.
The most peaceful countries include New Zealand, Iceland, Japan, Austria, Norway, Ireland, Denmark, Luxembourg, Finland and Switzerland.
The US landed at 85th on the world list of 149 nations, behind Cuba (72nd), and China (80th).
The 2010 GPI report says that last year the world became less peaceful, as two-thirds of the countries on the list became more unstable.
They concluded that worldwide peace would save the global economy $7 trillion each year, because peace enables greater economic accomplishments and smaller expenditures for ensuring security. The money saved could be invested to boost prosperity around the globe.
Source: TTXVN/Dan Tri
