When was the last time you went somewhere truly quiet? We’re so used to the constant hum of cars passing by and neighbours talking loudly (or moving furniture, if they’re the upstairs kind) that it’s instantly noticeable when you visit a place that’s actually silent.
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It’s… nice. Relaxing, even. We should seek silence out more.
Luckily for us, there’s a new Noise-Free Nations Index that reveals the quietest countries on earth where you can truly switch off.
Created by Go2Africa, the index was created using data points on population density, tourist density, rural land coverage, protected land, motor vehicle density, airport density, and train line density.
Across these indicators, each country was given a score out of 100, which was then combined to create an overall quiet score.
The quietest countries in the world
Bhutan came out on top, thanks to its rural land density, with more than 39,000 square kilometres of forested mountains, terraced valleys and highland terrain.
Plus, the Land of the Thunder Dragon keeps the amount of tourists who can visit low by charging a Sustainable Development Fee, making it one of the most expensive places in the world to visit.
Africa dominated the list, with more than half of the top 25 on the continent – including second to fifth place.
Namibia was the second quietest in the ranking, with just 3.83 people per square kilometre. The country is home to the Namib, the world’s oldest desert, and there are just 0.67 tourists per kilometre, too.
Third place went to Botswana, which, according to the travel operator, is thanks in part to its “low-volume, high-value” tourism strategy.
Rounding out the top five is Zambia and Gabon, with the former having one of the highest proportions of protected land in the world, and the latter being known for its pristine rainforest.
No country in Europe managed to crack the top 25, with the highest ranked nation being Estonia in 34th place, followed by Finland in 39th and Sweden in 40th.
This is due to the dense populations on the continent, high tourism inflow and expansive infrastructure networks.
The top 10 quietest countries globally
- Bhutan – 89.44 quiet score
- Namibia – 86.69 quiet score
- Botswana – 80.86 quiet score
- Zambia – 80.64 quiet score
- Gabon – 80.61 quiet score
- Venezuela – 80.20 quiet score
- Chad – 79.82 quiet score
- Central African Republic – 78.18 quiet score
- Mongolia – 75.53 quiet score
- Bolivia – 75.40 quiet score
And the loudest
On the flip side of things, the loudest countries in the world list are dominated by Asian destinations.
Singapore took the top spot, as rural land covers just 30% of the island nation’s total area, and there are a whopping 23,609 tourists per square kilometre.
Somewhat surprisingly, the Maldives came in second place. While you’ll certainly find peace and quiet on the resort islands, the capital Malé is one of the most densely populated places in the world.
Barbados came in third place, with Go2Africa noting it has two airports serving such a small area, and frequent noise from cruise traffic, too.
The loudest countries in the world
- Singapore – 6.78 quiet score
- Maldives – 8.48 quiet score
- Barbados – 10.12 quiet score
- Qatar – 15.45 quiet score
- Lebanon – 18.13 quiet score