Europe has been more peaceful by the year over the past four years, with Iceland, Denmark and Austria the most peaceful countries in the world. Fifteen of the top 20 countries in the rankings are in Europe.
Croatia is ranked 27th globally and 20th in Europe.
The index ranks 162 countries based on 23 indicators. It shows that peace is improving in Southeast Europe, where military costs and political instability are decreasing.
The index also shows that nearly one percent of the world's population are refugees or displaced, the highest amount since 1945, and that figure is set to rise. The impact of violence on the global economy is estimated at US$ 14.3 billion or 13.4% of last year's global GDP.