Global Happiness Rankings: Finland Tops the List, Afghanistan Happiest Country
According to a recent report, Finland is the happiest nation in the world and Afghanistan is the unhappiest. The Global Happiness Rankings, which measures citizens' overall welfare on an international level, has revealed some interesting facts.
Finland, a Nordic nation famous for its breathtaking natural scenery, high quality of life, and superior education system, has led the happiness rankings for the fifth year in a row. Finland's robust social safety net, low crime rate, and high social trust have all helped to make its citizens feel well.
Conversely, the unhappiest nation in the world has been Afghanistan. The country that has seen years of war has been afflicted by decades of political instability, poverty, and war, which have all impacted its people's mental and emotional states.
The other nations that appear within the top 10 happiest nations are Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland, Netherlands, Sweden, New Zealand, Austria, and Luxembourg. These nations have certain shared features like high standards of living, strong social protection systems, and high social trust.
Conversely, nations that rank among the 10 unhappiest nations are South Sudan, Yemen, Malawi, Syria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Liberia, and Haiti. All these nations face different challenges, including war, poverty, corruption, and poor leadership, which are all principal sources of unhappiness for their citizens.
The United Kingdom and the United States, two of the richest and most influential countries in the world, ranked 14th and 19th respectively in the happiness rankings. Although both nations possess high living standards and great education systems, they also face challenges like income disparity, loneliness, and suboptimal work-life balance, which all have the potential to decrease citizens' happiness.
The Global Happiness Rankings are done considering a series of factors such as GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make choices in life, generosity, and perceptions of corruption. The report is produced by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), which is an international effort led by the United Nations.
In general, the Global Happiness Rankings offer a compelling glimpse into what factors make citizens happy and content. While no one country can do it all, the report indicates that nations that value social well-being, education, and community attachment are likely to have happy and contented citizens.