A report released Wednesday by the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) attempts to provide the first-ever public assessment of nuclear security in 176 countries.

The NTI Nuclear Materials Security Index, developed with the Economist Intelligence Unit, foremost provides a security ranking for the 32 countries possessing nuclear materials, with Australia scoring highest. Japan, still reeling from the disaster at its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant last March, ranked no. 23; the United States tied with Belgium at no. 13. North Korea, which today signaled willingness to suspend its uranium enrichment program in exchange for food aid, came in last.

(Related Photos: Nuclear Cleanup Struggle at Fukushima)

Countries were rated on a number of factors, including quantities