Finland Tops World Happiness Report For Third Year Running
Source: Bloomberg News
Nordic countries rank in top ten, Afghanistan is least happy. World Happiness Report published annually by U.N.-linked body.
Finland was once again crowned as the world's happiest country, extending its lead over Denmark and Switzerland, according to a United Nations-affiliated research network. Finnish contentment stems from high levels of trust, which also underpins solid rankings across the rest of the Nordic region, the Sustainable Development Solutions Network said in the World Happiness Report on Friday.
Reliable and extensive welfare benefits, low corruption, and well-functioning democracy and state institutions are also key, as are a high sense of autonomy and freedom reported by their citizens. Happiness Scoreboard- The gap between the top and bottom countries is widening (SEE Graph)
"The World Happiness Report has proven to be an indispensable tool for policy makers looking to better understand what makes people happy," said Jeffrey Sachs, director of the network. The results are based on an average of three years of surveys between 2017 and 2019, meaning there's overlap in the data from previous years, and include factors such as gross domestic product, social support from friends and family, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, perceived corruption and recent emotions -- both happy and sad.
Afghanistan ranked lowest among 153 countries, with South Sudan and Zimbabwe just above it. The ranking saw the U.S. rise one place, to 18th.
Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-20/finland-tops-world-happiness-report-for-third-year-running
- Also: Forbes, 'Ranked: The 20 Happiest Countries In The World,' March 20, 2020.
...And while it seems like a strange time to be evaluating happiness, the editors of the report point out that challenging times can actually increase happiness. "The global pandemic poses great risks for some of the main supports for well-being, most especially health and income," the editors explain. "As revealed by earlier studies of earthquakes, floods, storms, tsunamis and even economic crises, a high trust society quite naturally looks for and finds co-operative ways to work together to repair the damage and rebuild better lives. This has led sometimes to surprising increases in happiness in the wake of what might otherwise seem to be unmitigated disasters."
The reason that people get happier in the fact of disasters, they say? "People are pleasantly surprised by the willingness of their neighbors and their institutions to work in harness to help each other."
This year, things have improved slightly for the United States. The U.S. ranked number 18--a slight uptick from last year when it ranked 19, although it's still far below its 11th place ranking in the first World Happiness Report. Last year's report explained it: "The years since 2010 have not been good ones for happiness and well-being among Americans."
So where did other major countries fall on the list? The United Kingdom was at number 13 (up two spots from 2019), Germany was again at 17, Japan was at 62 (down four spots from 2019), Russia was at 73 (down five spots) and China was at 94 (down one spot)...
More, https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2020/03/20/ranked-20-happiest-countries-2020/#195524fb7850
- Taking a selfie in Finland, the happiest country in the world for three years
- Residents at a home for the elderly participate in activities during the covid19 epidemic in Oslo, Norway.
= new reply since forum marked as read
we are going to be dead last.
Horrible, awful, totally inappropriate pun, intended. 
