A survey of 147 countries found Finland leading again, but experts note nuanced factors behind the result, from trust to social support.
Finland has topped the global happiness ranking for the ninth year in a row, according to the World Happiness Report. These findings indicate a consistently high standard of living and population satisfaction in the country.
“Finland has again been recognized as the happiest country in the world according to a survey covering 147 countries”
– according to the release
Key findings of the ranking
According to the study, Finland again leads the global happiness report, where the average life-satisfaction score is 7.8 out of 10.
The top six includes all five Nordic countries: after Finland come Iceland and Denmark, while Sweden and Norway occupy 5th and 6th places respectively. In fourth place sits Costa Rica – the highest score among Latin American countries.
Switzerland again makes the top ten at 10th place, while in the 7–9 range are the Netherlands, Israel, and Luxembourg.
Ukraine ranks 111th.
The ranking was developed by the Oxford University Wellbeing Research Center in partnership with the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network and the Gallup organization. It measures happiness levels based on population survey data and their perceptions of quality of life.
Experts say that differences between countries are driven by various factors, including GDP per capita, life expectancy, sense of freedom, and levels of corruption.
According to earlier findings, the year before last Ukraine was at 105th place, meaning it dropped 13 positions compared with the previous ranking.