Finland Tops Global Happiness Ranking for the Seventh Consecutive Year
On March 20, World Happiness Day, researchers from Gallup, the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network released the annual World Happiness Report. According to its findings, Finland has been recognized as the happiest country in the world for the seventh consecutive year.
Among the happiest countries globally, the report mentions Finland's neighbours, Denmark and Sweden, occupying the second and fourth positions respectively, along with Iceland in the third spot of the ranking. Also making it to the top ten happiest countries globally are Israel, the Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Australia, ranking from 5th to 10th place respectively. It's noteworthy that only one non-European country is in the top 10 happiest countries globally. Afghanistan has been once again recognized as the unhappiest country in the world.
An increase in feelings of unhappiness, especially among the youth, has led to a decline in rankings for some Western countries. The United States and Germany have dropped out of the top 20 ranking for the first time since the publication of the initial report over ten years ago. Their positions have been taken by Costa Rica and Kuwait, placed at 12th and 13th respectively. Serbia, Bulgaria, and Latvia experienced the largest increase in happiness over the past year.
This year's report includes separate rankings by age groups, which often significantly differ from the overall rankings. Lithuania leads the list of happiest countries for children and youth up to 30 years old, while Denmark is the happiest country for those aged 60 and above.
When comparing generations, those born before 1965 tend to be happier on average than those born after 1980. Among millennials, life satisfaction decreases with each passing year, whereas boomers become more satisfied with life as they age.
The World Happiness Report is based on a global survey conducted in over 140 countries. Countries are ranked based on average life quality ratings over the past three years, covering the period from 2021 to 2023 for the current ranking. The study considers indicators such as GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and corruption levels.