FINLAND has solidified its position in first place among the happiest countries in the world and has held that title for the seventh year in a row, according to a report by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network operating under UN auspices, published today.

The average score of that Nordic country is 7.7, followed by Denmark, Iceland and Sweden. At the other end of the ranking is Afghanistan, which, amid a humanitarian catastrophe after the Taliban returned to power in 2020, took last place out of 143 countries with a score of 1.7.

These are the ten happiest countries in the world.

1. Finland
2. Denmark
3. Iceland
4. Israel
5. The Netherlands
6. Sweden
7. Norway
8. Switzerland
9. Luxembourg
10. New Zealand

Croatia in 48th place

Croatia took 48th place, between Japan and Brazil and three places behind Serbia. Ahead of us are also countries such as Nicaragua, Saudi Arabia and Panama.

For the first time after more than 10 years, the United States and Germany are not among the 20 happiest nations, having fallen to 23rd and 24th place. France took 27th place.

Costa Rica and Kuwait entered the top 20, taking twelfth and thirteenth place, and there is not a single one of the world's most populous countries among the top 20 countries.

“Among the top ten, only the Netherlands and Australia have more than 15 million inhabitants, and within the top twenty, only Canada and the United Kingdom have more than 30 million inhabitants,” the report states.

The biggest decline in the happiness index from the period 2006 to 2010 relates to Afghanistan, Lebanon and Jordan, while Serbia, Bulgaria and Latvia show the greatest increase.

The US out of the top 20 after ten years, Afghanistan the worst

The annual World Happiness Report was launched in 2012 to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and is based on data from the American market research company Gallup, and is published by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network. It is based on people's assessment of their happiness, as well as data on economic and social conditions.

Residents of 143 countries and regions are asked to assess life satisfaction on a scale from zero to 10. The report also takes into account six key factors: social support, personal income, health, freedom, generosity and the absence of corruption.

In a broader sense, the ranking is loosely correlated with a country's prosperity, but other factors such as life expectancy, social ties, personal freedom and corruption also appear to influence individuals' assessments.

The key to Finns' satisfaction

Closeness to nature and a good work-life balance are the key to Finns' satisfaction, Jennifer De Paola, a researcher specializing in this topic at the University of Helsinki, told AFP. Finns have different priorities when it comes to the concept of a successful life compared with, for example, the United States, where success is often associated with financial gain, De Paola adds.

Trust in institutions, a low level of corruption and free access to healthcare and education are also important. De Paola points out that “Finnish society is permeated by a sense of trust, freedom and a high level of autonomy”.

The annual report also highlights a stronger sense of happiness among younger generations than among older ones in most regions and countries. The happiness index fell significantly from 2006 to 2010 among people under 30 living in North America, Australia and New Zealand and is now lower than among older people in the same areas.

But at the same time it increased in all age groups in Eastern European countries. Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Lithuania are among the top 20 countries. The generational gap deepened everywhere in the world except in Europe, which the report's authors consider “worrying”.

Source: index.hr