The 10 Happiest Countries In The World 2022
With the globe in such turmoil, any good news would be welcome. Just days before the annual International Day of Happiness on March 20, the United Nations issued its 10th annual World Happiness Report. Finland has been crowned the happiest nation in the world for the fifth year in a row, followed by Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.
Every year, the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Solutions Network publishes the Globe Happiness Report, which assesses global happiness in more than 150 nations throughout the world. The statisticians based the rating on data from the Gallup World Poll as well as a variety of other variables such as GDP levels, life expectancy, and so on.
With the pandemic now in its third year, the study will concentrate on three topics in 2022: looking back, looking at how individuals and nations are faring in the face of Covid-19, and looking forward to how the science of well-being is expected to progress in the future.
World’s 10 Happiest Countries
- Finland
- Denmark
- Iceland
- Switzerland
- Netherlands
- Luxembourg
- Sweden
- Norway
- Israel
- New Zealand
The Survey
The good news is that this year’s survey indicated significant global increase in all three types of acts of kindness tracked by the Gallup World Poll. “In 2021, stranger assistance, volunteering, and contributions were firmly up in every corner of the globe, reaching levels about 25% higher than pre-pandemic frequency,” says John Helliwell, professor at the University of British Columbia and publisher of the World Happiness Report Despite the epidemic, there is some good news: “Positive feelings as a whole remained more than twice as prevalent as negative emotions,” according to Helliwell
In the top-ranking nations, there is still a lot of stability in how people score their lives from year to year, according to the survey. So, where did the other nations rank this year? The United States ranked 16th in this year’s survey. Our Canadian neighbors, on the other hand, came in first, at number 15. France climbed to number 20 in the world, its highest position to date.
Aside from the world’s happiest nations, the survey looked at the saddest regions on the planet. Afghanistan was listed last on list, followed by Lebanon, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, and Botswana in the bottom five.
The Research
- So, what is it about Finland that makes it so happy? “Research indicates that a high national position on these questionnaires has nothing to do with culture. It’s more about how a country’s institutions care for its citizens, which leads to greater life satisfaction ratings,” says Frank Marten, a philosopher and author of the book A Wonderful Life – Insights on Finding a Meaningful Experience, of Aalto University.
- Other elements contributing to this tiny country’s prosperity, according to researchers at Helsinki’s Aalto University, include smart urban planning, access to natural areas to relieve stress and encourage physical exercise, an effective progressive taxation structure, and good healthcare and education systems.