New global survey reveals Singapore as the world’s noisiest country

SINGAPORE: According to the Noise-Free Nations Index, the Little Red Dot is the noisiest country in the world, receiving a 6.78 Quiet Score on the index’s rating scale.

For the sake of contrast, Bhutan, the world’s quietest nation, received a score of 89.44.

The index gave different countries a score based on seven key indicators: population density, tourist density, rural land coverage, protected land, motor vehicle density, airport density, and train line density.

“Each indicator was given a score between 0 and 100, where a higher score reflects greater tranquillity such as fewer vehicles on the road, less tourist footfall, and more untouched natural land. Those scores were then combined into an overall Quiet Score, giving a clear picture of which countries truly offer an escape from the noise,” the report from travel agency Go2Africa reads. 

It added the caveat, however, that even as higher scores mean environmental tranquillity, they do not reflect suitability for travel, and some nations may be quieter because they have less infrastructure for tourism.

The index added that high noise scores often indicate energy and vibrance, as well as an infrastructure well-developed for travel.

About Singapore, it notes, “Topping the list of the loudest countries in the world is the island and city-state of Singapore with a Quiet Score of 6.78. The country has some of the lowest scores across the board, featuring 8,436 residents and 23,609 tourists per kilometre. It has a very small area of rural land, covering just 30% of its land area, making a quiet spot hard to find. 

There’s also a wealth of infrastructure for visitors to get around, with Singapore having some of the highest rates of motor vehicle, airport, and train line density than anywhere else in the world.”

Here are the Index’s top five noisiest countries:

1. Singapore—6.78

2. Maldives—8.48

3. Barbados – 10.12  

4. Qatar – 15.45  

5. Lebanon – 18.13

On the other end of the scale, here are the top 10 quietest countries: 

1. Bhutan – 89.44 

2. Namibia – 86.69 

3. Botswana – 80.86 

4. Zambia – 80.64 

5. Gabon – 80.61 

6. Venezuela – 80.20 

7. Chad – 79.82 

8. Central African Republic – 78.18 

9. Mongolia – 75.53

10. Bolivia – 75.40 /TISG

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