All Smiles: Which are the happiest countries in the world? Where does India stand?

We were in the grips of a COVID-19 pandemic, killing millions and causing widespread disruptions to people’s lives and global economies. But what coronavirus couldn’t do was to make us less happy.

On the day of International Day of Happiness (20 March), the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network released its tenth edition of the ‘World Happiness Report’ that ranks countries on — you guessed it, happiness!

The report found that global happiness has not taken a hit in the three years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Life evaluations from 2020 to 2022 have been “remarkably resilient,” the report said, with global averages basically in line with the three years preceding the pandemic.

“Even during these difficult years, positive emotions have remained twice as prevalent as negative ones, and feelings of positive social support twice as strong as those of loneliness,” John Helliwell, one of the authors of the report, said.

Let’s take a look at which countries topped the list and where exactly India is placed as per the report.

And the world’s happiest country is…

For the sixth time in a row, Finland has been called the happiest country in the world. The report, which takes in issues like healthy life expectancy, GDP per capita, social support, low corruption, generosity in a community where people look after each other and freedom to make key life decisions, said that Finland is the clear winner—by a long shot.

“Finland continues to occupy the top spot, for the sixth year in a row, with a score that is significantly ahead of all other countries,” the authors of the report say.

But what makes Finland so happy? It might have something do with the mantra they follow — ‘Don’t compare or brag about your happiness.’

It’s true. Finns are one of the most reserved people on the planet. Blatant signs of glee or showing their material wealth are not in their playbook.

Additionally, Finns believe that nature has contributed to their happiness. In fact, a 2021 survey said that 87 per cent of Finns feel that nature is important to them because it provides them with peace of mind, energy and relaxation. In Finland, employees are entitled to four weeks of summer holiday.

One other major reason why Finland is such a happy place to live is the free, relaxed way of life. Compared to a lot of the Western world, Finland is more laid-back and more at peace with itself. Finnish culture is also very warm and focuses on co-operation, rather than competition.

One critical measurement for happiness is how safe people felt. Finland fares well on this parameter as it has low crime levels. The Nordic country also boasts of one of the fairest school systems in Europe and produces some of the best results.

The country also has a universal health care system which is a significant factor in how happy its citizens feel. When all these factors are combined, it allows most Finns to have a high standard of living and to feel content in their daily lives.

One other factor which makes Finland different from most western countries, according to Helsinki Times, is the equality, which translates into opportunities for everyone no matter what socio-economical background they are from. Finland has a very large middle class, and very little poverty. Even the poorest people would get the best education and health care, and no one needs to be homeless.

Living here will also make you happy

According to the report, Denmark came in the second position — as it did last year too — followed by Iceland at three.

Israel climbed the ranks to become the fourth happiest country, bumping Switzerland off the position — it ranks eight this year. The Netherlands once again was ranked five on the list with Sweden behind it.

Canada rose two position to 13 while the United States was also up one spot from last year — ranking 15 on the list. Belgium is up two spots to number 17. New to this year’s top 20: Lithuania, which is up more than 30 spots since 2017.

Explaining why the Nordic countries score so well on the report, the authors said, “The Nordic countries merit special attention in light of their generally high levels of both personal and institutional trust. They also had COVID-19 death rates only one-third as high as elsewhere in Western Europe during 2020 and 2021—27 per 100,000 in the Nordic countries compared to 80 in the rest of Western Europe.”

Top 20 Happiest Countries:
1. Finland
2. Denmark
3. Iceland
4. Israel
5. Netherlands
6. Sweden
7. Norway
8. Switzerland
9. Luxembourg
10. New Zealand
11. Austria
12. Australia
13. Canada
14. Ireland
15. United States
16. Germany
17. Belgium
18. Czech Republic
19. United Kingdom
20. Lithuania

India’s happiness index rank

India may be the fastest growing economy, but it isn’t too happy. As per the World Happiness Report, the country ranked a low 125 of 136 countries.

This ranking was even below its neighbouring nations like Nepal, China, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. At the very bottom of list is Afghanistan at 137th position.

Interestingly, the Russia-Ukraine war has also caused a drop in the rankings for both countries. Russia is ranked 70th and Ukraine is at the 92nd spot.

A happy future

The World Happiness Report also offers some good news for 2023.

Lara Aknin, one of the co-authors of the report said, “This year’s report features many interesting insights,” Aknin said in a release. “But one that I find particularly interesting and heartening has to do with pro-sociality. For a second year, we see that various forms of everyday kindness, such as helping a stranger, donating to charity and volunteering, are above pre-pandemic levels.”

Also, benevolence to others, especially the helping of strangers, which went up dramatically in 2021, stayed high in 2022,” added John Helliwell, one of the authors of the report.

All in all, it’s been a happy 2022 and here’s to an even happier 2023.

With inputs from agencies

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