For the seventh year straight, Finland has topped the list of the world’s happiest countries in an annual UN-sponsored World Happiness Report published on Wednesday. In the list, India has ranked 126, the same as last year.
The Nordic nations maintained their positions within the top 10 happiest countries, with Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden following closely behind Finland.
Afghanistan, facing a humanitarian crisis since the Taliban regained control in 2020, remained at the bottom of the list among the 143 surveyed countries.
The United States and Germany fell out of the top 20 list of the happiest nations. For the first time in over a decade since the report’s inception, they were ranked 23rd and 24th respectively.
However, Costa Rica and Kuwait entered the top 20 at 12 and 13.
The report highlighted that none of the world’s largest countries were among the happiest nations anymore.
In the top 10 countries, only the Netherlands and Australia have populations exceeding 15 million. Across the entire top 20, only Canada and the UK have populations surpassing 30 million, the report stated.
The sharpest decline in happiness since 2006-10 was observed in Afghanistan, Lebanon, and Jordan. Conversely, the Eastern European countries Serbia, Bulgaria, and Latvia reported the most significant increases.
The happiness ranking is determined by individuals’ self-assessed evaluations of life satisfaction, alongside factors such as GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and corruption.
Growing Inequality
Jennifer De Paola, a happiness researcher at the University of Helsinki in Finland, explained that Finns’ strong connection to nature and their balanced approach to work and life significantly contribute to their overall life satisfaction.
Furthermore, she noted that Finns tend to have a more realistic and achievable definition of success compared to countries like the United States, where success is often equated solely with financial prosperity.
De Paola also highlighted Finland’s robust welfare system, trust in governmental institutions, minimal corruption, and access to free healthcare and education as crucial factors in fostering happiness.
Describing Finnish society as characterized by trust, freedom, and a high degree of personal autonomy, De Paola emphasized these elements as fundamental to the country’s overall well-being.
The latest report also revealed a notable trend: younger generations tend to report higher levels of happiness compared to older generations in many regions worldwide, although there are exceptions.
In regions such as North America, Australia, and New Zealand, happiness among individuals under 30 has markedly declined since 2006-2010, with older generations now reporting greater levels of happiness than their younger counterparts.
Conversely, in Central and Eastern Europe, happiness has significantly increased across all age groups during the same period. Meanwhile, in Western Europe, people of all ages reported relatively consistent happiness levels.
However, the report also noted a concerning trend of increasing happiness inequality across most regions, excluding Europe. This rise in inequality is particularly pronounced among older individuals and in Sub-Saharan Africa, reflecting disparities in income, education, healthcare access, social acceptance, trust, and supportive social environments at various levels.