Finland has once again bagged the top spot as the world’s happiest country for the seventh year in a row, according to the annual UN-sponsored ‘World Happiness Report’ released on Wednesday.
Denmark, Iceland and Sweden follow closely behind Finland. The US is no longer in the top 20. India ranked 126, the same as last year, in the happiness index.
Afghanistan remained at the bottom of the list of 143 countries surveyed. The US and Germany were ranked at 23rd and 24th place respectively. Meanwhile, Costa Rica and Kuwait have entered the top 20, ranking 12th and 13th.
The report highlights a shift where the happiest countries no longer feature the world’s largest nations. The Netherlands and Australia, which figure in the top 10, have populations exceeding 15 million while Canada and the UK, also in the top 20, have populations over 30 million.
Factors leading to happiness
The ranking of happiness is based on individuals’ self-assessed evaluations of life satisfaction, GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and extent of corruption.
Researchers have highlighted the connection between happiness and nature as well as a healthy work-life balance in the case of Finland. Also, that country reportedly has a strong welfare society where the people have faith in government institutions. Low corruption levels and universal healthcare and education are other positive factors.
This year’s report also highlights a trend where youngsters report higher levels of happiness compared to older people, except in North America, Australia, and New Zealand where happiness among the youth has declined since 2006-2010.
Situation for older Indians
As far as older Indians go, factors such as marital status, social engagement, physical health and living arrangements influence life satisfaction. Autonomy and social bonds play a crucial role for this segment of the population. India’s older population ranks second globally, with 140 million individuals aged 60 and above.
Older Indian women tend to report higher life satisfaction compared to men, despite facing more stressors and health challenges. The reason for this may be the social support they receive, as women often have broader social networks.
