On March 20, the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network published the 10th annual World Happiness Report. The top 10 happiest countries in the world are Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Israel, Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Australia.
Finland continues to rank first with a score of 7.7, followed by the Nordic countries Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden.
Finland remains the happiest country in the world for the 7th consecutive year. (Photo: iStock)
In this year’s report, Vietnam’s happiness index has increased by 11 places, from 65th position in 2023 to 54th position with an average score of 6.043.
Afghanistan – a country devastated by humanitarian disasters since the Taliban regained control in 2020, ranks last among the 143 surveyed countries.
For the first time in over a decade since the report was released, the United States and Germany are not among the top 20 happiest countries, ranking 23rd and 24th respectively. Meanwhile, Costa Rica and Kuwait made it into the top 20 at positions 12 and 13.
The ranking of the national happiness index is based on surveys in 143 countries and territories. People are asked to evaluate their quality of life on a scale of 0 to 10 related to factors such as life satisfaction, GDP per capita, social support, life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and corruption.
This is the 7th consecutive year that Finland has topped the list. Happiness researcher at the University of Helsinki – Jennifer De Paola, said that Finns’ closeness to nature and a healthy work-life balance are key factors that contribute to their satisfaction.
According to happiness expert Jennifer De Paola, the Finnish people have a more attainable concept of “successful life” compared to the United States, where success is often equated with financial capability.
The annual World Happiness Report is published on the International Day of Happiness. March 20th was designated by the United Nations as the International Day of Happiness to promote the importance of happiness in people’s lives.
