Each year, the United Nations (UN) collects a report on the happiness levels of all countries in the world. Happiness is not a quantifiable factor. It is therefore extremely difficult to measure. However, the UN uses several indicators which give a fairly informative idea of the level of satisfaction or satisfaction of people. Among the indicators used in the compilation of the report are, among others, income, social support, confidence, freedom, generosity and life expectancy. Prior to 2018, the report did not include the happiness levels of immigrants. However, in 2018, happiness immigrants were calculated and included in the report.
Happiest countries in 2018
The Nordic countries such as Finland, Norway and Denmark occupy the first places as the happiest nations on the planet in 2018. Finland, which occupied the fifth position in the 2017 ranking, occupies the first place. Previously, Norway was in second place while Denmark, previously second, was in third position. The third and fourth places from last year, respectively in Iceland and Switzerland, now occupy positions four and five respectively in 2018. With the exception of Finland, which was fifth last year, the ranking remains the same . From position six to ten to 2018, in the Netherlands, Canada, New Zealand, Sweden and Australia respectively. The rankings are similar to those of 2017.
Finland – The happiest country in the world
Finland has surpassed all other countries in most of the criteria used by the United Nations to prepare the report. Finland, a country of 5.5 million, is also considered the safest and most stable, with the best governance in the world with minimum corruption and maximum social progress. Even with the inclusion of immigrants, Finland still leads the rankings. This position is explained by the fact that Finland has one of the highest taxes in the world. According to the report, most people do not see this as a bad thing. In fact, they believe that the high taxes serve to improve the quality of life of its citizens, including free health care and university education.
Most unhappy countries of 2018
Of the ten counties on the list, seven of them come from Africa. These countries include Malawi, Liberia, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Sudan, the Central African Republic and Burundi. Incredibly, some African countries (Rwanda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Central African Republic and Burundi) are below Syria in this ranking, a country plagued by civil war.
The biggest gains and losses
Despite the low score of African states, an African country is the biggest winner. Togo has gained an incredible number of places 18 from the bottom of the 2017 ranking to become the most improved. Latvia and Bulgaria are other high-growth countries. The biggest loser of 2018 is Venezuela, with an even bigger drop than that of Syria.
Three world economic powers, namely the United Kingdom, China and the United States, also present interesting data. The United States fell from four places in the 2016 ranking to 18 th place in 2018. The drop has been attributed to epidemic diseases such as obesity, depression and addiction. In 19 th The place is in the United Kingdom while China has stagnated with the reduction of happiness levels.
World Happiness Day
The first report was published in 2012 the same year that International Day of Happiness was created by law of the United Nations. International Happiness Day is celebrated annually on March 13. All 20 member states adopted the resolution with the aim of recognizing happiness as a basic human need.
The happiest countries in the world, 2018
| Rank | The happiest countries of 2018 | The most unhappy countries of 2018 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finland, score: 7.632 | Burundi, score: 2.905 |
| 2 | Norway, score: 7.594 | Central African Republic, score: 3.083 |
| 3 | Denmark, score: 7.555 | South Sudan, score: 3.254 |
| 4 | Iceland, score: 7.495 | Tanzania, score: 3.303 |
| 5 | Switzerland, partition: 7.487 | Yemen, score: 3.355 |
| 6 | Netherlands, score: 7.441 | Rwanda, score: 3.408 |
| 7 | Canada, score: 7.328 | Syria, score: 3,462 |
| 8 | New Zealand, score: 7.324 | Liberia, score: 3.495 |
| 9 | Sweden, score: 7.314 | Haiti, score: 3.582 |
| 10 | Australia, score: 7.272 | Malawi, score: 3.587 |