These are the top 10 happiest countries in the world
Finland has been named the happiest country in the world for the sixth consecutive year, the annual World Happiness Report 2023 has found.
The report analysed six key factors to help explain variation in self-reported levels of happiness globally: social support, income, health, freedom, generosity, and absence of corruption. Despite several overlapping crises, researchers discovered that global life satisfaction is just as high as those in the pre-pandemic years.
Holding the top title since 2018, Finland credits nature, lifestyle, food and sustainability as the key to living a happy life. With countless blue lakes, windswept arctic fells and vast green forests (around 70 per cent of the land is covered with trees), it's no wonder Finns find joy in the many benefits nature has to offer.
Denmark, Iceland and Israel all followed close behind in the study, with the Netherlands rounding up the top five.
'Average happiness and our country rankings, for emotions as well as life evaluations, have been remarkably stable during the three COVID-19 years,' said John Helliwell in the report.
'Changes in rankings that have taken place have been continuations of longer-term trends, such as the increases seen in the rankings of the three Baltic countries. 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.'
Elsewhere, the report also found that various forms of everyday kindness, including helping a stranger, donating to charity and volunteering, are all above pre-pandemic levels.
'This year's report features many interesting insights,' said Lara Aknin, 'but one that I find particularly interesting and heartening has to do with pro-sociality. Acts of kindness have been shown to both lead to and stem from greater happiness.'
On the other hand, Afghanistan and Lebanon remain the two unhappiest countries in the survey, with average life evaluations more than five points lower (on a scale running from 0 to 10) than in the 10 happiest countries.
Take a look at the full list below...
Top 10 happiest countries in the world
Finland
Denmark
Iceland
Israel
Netherlands
Sweden
Norway
Switzerland
Luxembourg
New Zealand
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