For the fifth year in a row Finland takes the top spot as the happiest in the world. This year its score was significantly ahead of other countries in the top ten, according to the latest World Happiness Report 2022.
Denmark continues to occupy second place, with Iceland up from 4th place last year to 3rd this year. Switzerland is 4th, followed by the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The top ten are rounded out by Sweden, Norway, Israel and New Zealand. The next five are Austria, Australia, Ireland, Germany and Canada, in that order. This marks a substantial fall for Canada, which was 5th ten years ago. The rest of the top 20 include the United States at 16th (up from 19th last year), the UK and the Czechia still in 17th and 18th, followed by Belgium at 19th and France at 20th, its highest ranking yet.
- Finland 🇫🇮
- Denmark 🇩🇰
- Iceland 🇮🇸
- Switzerland 🇨🇭
- Netherlands 🇳🇱
- Luxembourg 🇱🇺
- Sweden 🇸🇪
- Norway 🇳🇴
- Israel 🇮🇱
- New Zealand 🇳🇿
This year’s report comes in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has upended lives around the world. “COVID-19 is the biggest health crisis we’ve seen in more than a century,” said John Helliwell. “Now that we have two years of evidence, we are able to assess not just the importance of benevolence and trust, but to see how they have contributed to well-being during the pandemic.”
“Data considered in the World Happiness Report offers a snapshot of how people around the world evaluate their own happiness and some of the latest insights from the science of well-being,” said Lara Aknin. “This information is incredibly powerful for understanding the human condition and how to help people, communities, and countries work toward happier lives.”
