Happiness is where home is! Well, contradicting this with data at hand is the World Happiness Report, 2022, as published by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. The 10th edition of the study makes us take a hard look at our city/country while compelling us to think about shifting base, if at all!
Ranked based on several factors such as real GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and perceptions of corruption, the report lists an in-depth analysis for close of 150 countries (with this year’s list limited to 146 countries in total).
Each variable, as listed above, takes note of a populated-weighted average score on a scale of 0-10 that is tracked over a period and further compared with other countries. The result is the world’s happiest countries to live in – with this year’s top positions won by three of the Scandinavian nations.
On the bottom of the ladder was Afghanistan, which was termed as the most unhappy country, followed by Lebanon and Zimbabwe. Austria, too, dropped down the top 10, with Finland, Denmark, and Iceland making it to the top three (in that order).
Here’s a look at the top 20 countries for 2022, according to the World Happiness Report:
1. Finland
2. Denmark
3. Iceland
4. Switzerland
5. The Netherlands
6. Luxembourg
7. Sweden
8. Norway
9. Israel
10. New Zealand
11. Austria
12. Australia
13. Ireland
14. Germany
15. Canada
16. United States
17. United Kingdom
18. Czechia (Czech Republic)
19. Belgium
20. France
