Iceland is the most peaceful country in the world, according to the 2019 Global Peace Index. The country has held onto the title since the first Global Peace Index launched 13 years ago. Iceland is also the only Nordic country that is more peaceful now than it was in 2008.

“Not a single deterioration was recorded in Iceland’s peacefulness over the last year,” reports Visions of Humanity. “In fact, 78% of Iceland’s indicators showed no change, and 22% improved. The falling homicide rate, the increase in funding to UN peacekeeping, and the decrease in the number of external conflicts are the most significant improvements over the last year.”

The article points out, however, that Iceland is “not immune to conflict and instability. However, the strong institutions, attitudes, and structures of peace that Iceland maintains has bolstered the country’s resilience against small internal shocks.”

Another far-flung island nation takes second place on the 2019 index: New Zealand. Portugal, Austria, and Denmark round out the top five most peaceful nations. The index is carried out by the Institute for Economics and Peace, an independent, non-profit think tank.