The World Happiness Report was released on Monday by UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, whose editors are, John F. Helliwell, Richard Layard, Jeffrey D. Sachs, Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, Lara B. Aknin, and Shun Wang who are also independent experts. It lists the world’s happiest countries by ranking.
The report collected global survey data conducted on people in over 150 countries.
The report has shown a 25% increase in the benevolence rate, which is higher than it was in the pre-pandemic. According to the report, the best method to gauge a country’s happiness is to survey people’s happiness rate. Life satisfaction is measured, according to the report, by pro-social, healthy, and prosperous factors in a community.
The report says that life assessments have remained surprisingly robust, with global averages in the COVID-19 years 2020–2022 being equal to those in the years prior to the pandemic, 2017–2019.
Countries are given a rank on the list depending on their average life evaluations and crises experienced during the last three years (2020 to 2022).
March 20 is celebrated as the International Day of Happiness by the United Nations. It marks its 10th anniversary in 2023.
Countries maintaining a six-year streak of happiness
According to the World Happiness Report 2023, Finland is the world’s happiest country for six years in a row, based on life evaluations from the Gallup World Poll.
The Nordic country and its neighbours Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, and Norway all are ranked happiest on the report depending on the healthy life expectancy, GDP per capita, social support, low corruption, generosity within a community where people care for each other, and freedom in making crucial life decisions.
The report says, “The objective of every institution should be to contribute what it can to human well-being”, including the future generations as well as safeguarding basic human rights.
Israel moved higher to 4th rank this year from its 9th rank last year. The Netherlands (5th), Switzerland (8th), Luxembourg (9th), and New Zealand (10th) are among the top 10 happiest nations in the world. While the top 20 happiest countries include Australia (12th), Canada (13th), Ireland (14th), the United States (15th), and the United Kingdom (19th).
Lithuania is a debutant in the list of top 20 world’s happiest countries. Over the past six years, the Baltic nation has been steadily moving to the higher ranks from 52nd in 2017 to 20th rank in this year’s list. France came down from the top 20 to 21st rank in this 2023’s report.
