For the second time in a row, the Scandinavian nation of Finland topped the list of the happiest countries of the world. The report was released by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network. It ranks countries on six primary factors that support well-being: GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, corruption levels, freedom to make choices, social support, and generosity. While Finland scored well on all the parameters, it scored very high on the generosity factor.
Finland was followed by Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and the Netherlands in that order. These nations were followed by Switzerland, Sweden, New Zealand, Canada, and Austria. Remarkably, most of the Nordic countries were in the top 10 list.
The United States of America was at the 19th position, one spot below its last year’s ranking.
Interestingly, none of the superpowers were in the top 10 list. The United Kingdom was at 15th spot whereas Germany followed it closely at number 17. Japan, Russia, and China were must lower at 58th, 68th, and 93rd positions respectively. This fact also reinforces that a high GDP need not correlate with more happiness.
World’s Happiest Countries
1. Finland
2. Denmark
3. Norway
4. Iceland
5. Netherlands
6. Switzerland
7. Sweden
8. New Zealand
9. Canada
10. Australia
See also This City has Topped the Quality of Living list for 10th year
World’s Least Happy Countries
1. South Sudan
2. The Central African Republic
3. Afghanistan
4. Tanzania
5. Rwanda
6. Yemen
7. Malawi
8. Syria
9. Botswana
10. Haiti
This report has been released each year since 2012.
What do you think contributes to happiness among citizens of a nation? Does the government play a key role?
Do you also want to see where your nation lies? Read more about the report here.
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