For the sixth year in a row, Finland continues to be the happiest country in the World, according to the World Happiness Report.
The peaceful Scandinavian country, which is well known for its beautiful landscapes and high standard of living, continues to hold the top spot because of its straightforward way of life, dedication to sustainability, close connection to nature, and enjoyment of seasonal and local foods.
Interestingly, half of the top 10 happiest countries in the world for 2022 are Scandinavian – Denmark at No. 2, Iceland at No. 3, Sweden at No. 6, and Norway at No. 7.
Israel, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Luxembourg and New Zealand round out the top 10.
War-torn Afghanistan and Lebanon remain the two unhappiest countries in the survey.
India has been ranked 125th out of 146 countries in the latest edition of the World Happiness Report, which is lower than the warring Russia and Ukraine.
While Russia is ranked 72, Ukraine is 20 positions down at 92.
This year’s report takes a closer look at the available survey data from Ukraine. “The devastating impact of the war is evident to all, and so we also find that well-being in Ukraine has taken a real hit. But what is surprising, however, is that well-being in Ukraine fell by less than it did in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea, and this is thanks in part to the extraordinary rise in fellow feeling across Ukraine as picked up in data on helping strangers and donations – the Russian invasion has forged Ukraine into a nation”.
World Happiness Report 2023 shows that despite several overlapping crises, most populations around the world continue to be remarkably resilient. Despite the Covid pandemic, global life satisfaction averages during 2020-2022 remained just as high as those in the pre-pandemic years.
“This year’s report features many interesting insights, but one that I find particularly interesting and heartening has to do with pro-sociality,” said Professor Lara Aknin, Director of the Helping and Happiness Lab of Simon Fraser University. “For a second year, we see that various forms of everyday kindness, such as helping a stranger, donating to charity, and volunteering, are above pre-pandemic levels, she added.
The World Happiness Report research leverages six key factors to help explain variation in self-reported levels of happiness across the world: social support, income, health, freedom, generosity, and absence of corruption.
The World Happiness Report is a publication of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, powered by the Gallup World Poll data.
The report was published on the tenth anniversary of the first International Day of Happiness, which was celebrated on March 20, 2013.
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