The world's quietest countries announced: Bhutan takes the top spot, Europe fails to make the top 25

A new index prepared for those seeking destinations around the world away from crowds and city noise has ranked the quietest countries. According to the Noise-Free Nations Index published by Go2Africa, Bhutan sits at the top of the list.

In the index, countries were evaluated based on indicators such as population density, tourist density, the proportion of rural areas, the size of protected areas, motor vehicle density, airport density, and rail line density. Scores out of 100 were combined for each country to create an overall “quietness score.”

Bhutan reached the top spot with a score of 89.44, thanks to its mountainous and forested terrain spanning over 39 thousand square kilometers, its high proportion of rural areas, and low tourist density. The Sustainable Development Fee applied by the country in tourism is also cited as one of the factors limiting the number of visitors.

African countries stood out at the top of the list. Namibia ranked second with a population density of 3.83 people per square kilometer and low tourist density. Botswana came in third, while Zambia and Gabon rounded out the top five.

WHICH COUNTRIES ARE IN THE TOP 10?

• 1. Bhutan – 89.44 quietness score
• 2. Namibia – 86.69 quietness score
• 3. Botswana – 80.86 quietness score
• 4. Zambia – 80.64 quietness score
• 5. Gabon – 80.61 quietness score
• 6. Venezuela – 80.20 quietness score
• 7. Chad – 79.82 quietness score
• 8. Central African Republic – 78.18 quietness score
• 9. Mongolia – 75.53 quietness score
• 10. Bolivia – 75.40 quietness score

No country from Europe made it into the top 25. Estonia, identified as the quietest country on the continent, ranked 34th in the overall standings. Estonia was followed by Finland in 39th place and Sweden in 40th. In the index, this situation was attributed to high population density, heavy tourist flow, and developed transport infrastructure in Europe.

At the other end of the list, Asian and island destinations stood out. Singapore was recorded as the noisiest country with a quietness score of 6.78. Singapore was followed by the Maldives, Barbados, Qatar, and Lebanon. According to the index, high population, limited rural areas, air traffic, and tourist density, in particular, dragged down the scores of these countries.