Madhavi Gaur
August 30, 2023 03:15
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Celebrating its decade of existence, the World Happiness Index 2023 Report introduces the Globe Happiness Reflect, a survey-based revelation that gauges individuals’ life assessments across more than 150 nations worldwide. Amidst somber times, a ray of hope emerges from the World Happiness Index 2023. While the pandemic brought forth distress and hardship, it also spurred a surge in community support and philanthropy.
The annual release of the World Happiness Report coincides with March 20, a day designated as the International Day of Happiness. This report serves to rank nations according to their levels of happiness.
This article aims to furnish significant details about the report that is important for the IAS Exam.
The World Happiness Report serves as a measure of global contentment through the lens of the world happiness index. These rankings derive from individuals’ self-assessments of their personal lives, while also incorporating assessments of national happiness. The analysis also considers various factors impacting overall life quality. As of March 2023, Finland retains its position as the world’s happiest country for the fifth consecutive time, according to the World Happiness Report. The latest computation, however, is yet to be unveiled.
The World Happiness Report assesses countries based on the self-perceived happiness of their citizens. This distinguishes it from the Human Development Report (HDR), which examines three dimensions: health, knowledge, and standard of living.
Since its inception in 2012, the World Happiness Report operates on two main principles:
Each variable is annually measured and assigned a weighted average score based on population, using a scale from 0 to 10. These scores are then tracked over time and compared with those of other countries.
Typically, the report ranks around 150 countries by considering various factors, including:
Here is the comprehensive list of country rankings based on the World Happiness Index 2023:
| Country | Rank | Population in 2022 | Happiness Index 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finland | 1 | 5,554,960 | 7.842 |
| Denmark | 2 | 5,834,950 | 7.62 |
| Switzerland | 3 | 8,773,637 | 7.571 |
| Iceland | 4 | 345,393 | 7.554 |
| Netherlands | 5 | 17,211,447 | 7.464 |
| Norway | 6 | 5,511,370 | 7.392 |
| Sweden | 7 | 10,218,971 | 7.363 |
| Luxembourg | 8 | 642,371 | 7.324 |
| New Zealand | 9 | 4,898,203 | 7.277 |
| Austria | 10 | 9,066,710 | 7.268 |
| Australia | 11 | 26,068,792 | 7.183 |
| Israel | 12 | 8,922,892 | 7.157 |
| Germany | 13 | 83,883,596 | 7.155 |
| Canada | 14 | 38,388,419 | 7.103 |
| Ireland | 15 | 5,020,199 | 7.085 |
| Costa Rica | 16 | 5,182,354 | 7.069 |
| United Kingdom | 17 | 68,497,907 | 7.064 |
| Czech Republic | 18 | 10,736,784 | 6.965 |
| United States | 19 | 334,805,269 | 6.951 |
| Belgium | 20 | 11,668,278 | 6.834 |
| France | 21 | 65,584,518 | 6.69 |
| Bahrain | 22 | 1,783,983 | 6.647 |
| Malta | 23 | 444,033 | 6.602 |
| Taiwan | 24 | 23,888,595 | 6.584 |
| United Arab Emirates | 25 | 10,081,785 | 6.561 |
| Saudi Arabia | 26 | 35,844,909 | 6.494 |
| Spain | 27 | 46,719,142 | 6.491 |
| Italy | 28 | 60,262,770 | 6.483 |
| Slovenia | 29 | 2,078,034 | 6.461 |
| Guatemala | 30 | 18,584,039 | 6.435 |
| Uruguay | 31 | 3,496,016 | 6.431 |
| Singapore | 32 | 5,943,546 | 6.377 |
| Slovakia | 33 | 5,460,193 | 6.331 |
| Brazil | 34 | 215,353,593 | 6.33 |
| Mexico | 35 | 131,562,772 | 6.317 |
| Jamaica | 36 | 2,985,094 | 6.309 |
| Lithuania | 37 | 2,661,708 | 6.255 |
| Cyprus | 38 | 1,223,387 | 6.223 |
| Estonia | 39 | 1,321,910 | 6.189 |
| Panama | 40 | 4,446,964 | 6.18 |
| Uzbekistan | 41 | 34,382,084 | 6.179 |
| Chile | 42 | 19,250,195 | 6.172 |
| Poland | 43 | 37,739,785 | 6.166 |
| Kazakhstan | 44 | 19,205,043 | 6.152 |
| Romania | 45 | 19,031,335 | 6.14 |
| Kuwait | 46 | 4,380,326 | 6.106 |
| Serbia | 47 | 8,653,016 | 6.078 |
| El Salvador | 48 | 6,550,389 | 6.061 |
| Mauritius | 49 | 1,274,727 | 6.049 |
| Latvia | 50 | 1,848,837 | 6.032 |
| Colombia | 51 | 51,512,762 | 6.012 |
| Hungary | 52 | 9,606,259 | 5.992 |
| Thailand | 53 | 70,078,203 | 5.985 |
| Nicaragua | 54 | 6,779,100 | 5.972 |
| Japan | 55 | 125,584,838 | 5.94 |
| Portugal | 57 | 10,140,570 | 5.929 |
| Argentina | 56 | 46,010,234 | 5.929 |
| Honduras | 58 | 10,221,247 | 5.919 |
| Croatia | 59 | 4,059,286 | 5.882 |
| Philippines | 60 | 112,508,994 | 5.88 |
| South Korea | 61 | 51,329,899 | 5.845 |
| Peru | 62 | 33,684,208 | 5.84 |
| Bosnia And Herzegovina | 63 | 3,249,317 | 5.813 |
| Moldova | 64 | 4,013,171 | 5.766 |
| Ecuador | 65 | 18,113,361 | 5.764 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 66 | 6,728,271 | 5.744 |
| Greece | 67 | 10,316,637 | 5.723 |
| Bolivia | 68 | 11,992,656 | 5.716 |
| Mongolia | 69 | 3,378,078 | 5.677 |
| Paraguay | 70 | 7,305,843 | 5.653 |
| Montenegro | 71 | 627,950 | 5.581 |
| Dominican Republic | 72 | 11,056,370 | 5.545 |
| Belarus | 73 | 9,432,800 | 5.534 |
| Hong Kong | 75 | 7,604,299 | 5.477 |
| Russia | 74 | 145,805,947 | 5.477 |
| Tajikistan | 76 | 9,957,464 | 5.466 |
| Vietnam | 77 | 98,953,541 | 5.411 |
| Libya | 78 | 7,040,745 | 5.41 |
| Malaysia | 79 | 33,181,072 | 5.384 |
| Indonesia | 80 | 279,134,505 | 5.345 |
| Republic of the Congo | 81 | 5,797,805 | 5.342 |
| China | 82 | 1,448,471,400 | 5.339 |
| Ivory Coast | 83 | 27,742,298 | 5.306 |
| Armenia | 84 | 2,971,966 | 5.283 |
| Nepal | 85 | 30,225,582 | 5.269 |
| Bulgaria | 86 | 6,844,597 | 5.266 |
| Maldives | 87 | 540,985 | 5.198 |
| Azerbaijan | 88 | 10,300,205 | 5.171 |
| Cameroon | 89 | 27,911,548 | 5.142 |
| Senegal | 90 | 17,653,671 | 5.132 |
| Albania | 91 | 2,866,374 | 5.117 |
| North Macedonia | 92 | 2,081,304 | 5.101 |
| Ghana | 93 | 32,395,450 | 5.088 |
| Niger | 94 | 26,083,660 | 5.074 |
| Turkmenistan | 95 | 6,201,943 | 5.066 |
| Gambia | 96 | 2,558,482 | 5.051 |
| Benin | 97 | 12,784,726 | 5.045 |
| Laos | 98 | 7,481,023 | 5.03 |
| Bangladesh | 99 | 167,885,689 | 5.025 |
| Guinea | 100 | 13,865,691 | 4.984 |
| South Africa | 101 | 60,756,135 | 4.956 |
| Turkey | 102 | 85,561,976 | 4.948 |
| Pakistan | 103 | 229,488,994 | 4.934 |
| Morocco | 104 | 37,772,756 | 4.918 |
| Venezuela | 105 | 29,266,991 | 4.892 |
| Georgia | 106 | 3,968,738 | 4.891 |
| Algeria | 107 | 45,350,148 | 4.887 |
| Ukraine | 108 | 43,192,122 | 4.875 |
| Iraq | 109 | 42,164,965 | 4.854 |
| Gabon | 110 | 2,331,533 | 4.852 |
| Burkina Faso | 111 | 22,102,838 | 4.834 |
| Cambodia | 112 | 17,168,639 | 4.83 |
| Mozambique | 113 | 33,089,461 | 4.794 |
| Nigeria | 114 | 216,746,934 | 4.759 |
| Mali | 115 | 21,473,764 | 4.723 |
| Iran | 116 | 86,022,837 | 4.721 |
| Uganda | 117 | 48,432,863 | 4.636 |
| Liberia | 118 | 5,305,117 | 4.625 |
| Kenya | 119 | 56,215,221 | 4.607 |
| Tunisia | 120 | 12,046,656 | 4.596 |
| Lebanon | 121 | 6,684,849 | 4.584 |
| Namibia | 122 | 2,633,874 | 4.574 |
| Myanmar | 123 | 55,227,143 | 4.426 |
| Jordan | 124 | 10,300,869 | 4.395 |
| Chad | 125 | 17,413,580 | 4.355 |
| Sri Lanka | 126 | 21,575,842 | 4.325 |
| Eswatini | 127 | 1,184,817 | 4.308 |
| Comoros | 128 | 907,419 | 4.289 |
| Egypt | 129 | 106,156,692 | 4.283 |
| Ethiopia | 130 | 120,812,698 | 4.275 |
| Mauritania | 131 | 4,901,981 | 4.227 |
| Madagascar | 132 | 29,178,077 | 4.208 |
| Togo | 133 | 8,680,837 | 4.107 |
| Zambia | 134 | 19,470,234 | 4.073 |
| Sierra Leone | 135 | 8,306,436 | 3.849 |
| India | 136 | 1,406,631,776 | 3.819 |
| Burundi | 137 | 12,624,840 | 3.775 |
| Yemen | 138 | 31,154,867 | 3.658 |
| Tanzania | 139 | 63,298,550 | 3.623 |
| Haiti | 140 | 11,680,283 | 3.615 |
| Malawi | 141 | 20,180,839 | 3.6 |
| Lesotho | 142 | 2,175,699 | 3.512 |
| Botswana | 143 | 2,441,162 | 3.467 |
| Rwanda | 144 | 13,600,464 | 3.415 |
| Zimbabwe | 145 | 15,331,428 | 3.145 |
| Afghanistan | 146 | 40,754,388 | 2.523 |
Annually, the Sustainable Development Solutions Network releases a report known as the World Happiness Index 2023. This comprehensive study aims to assess the global level of happiness across over 150 nations.
The primary source for this study is the Gallup World Poll. The website offers a downloadable video for each World Happiness Report. The 2020 research was edited by esteemed individuals including John F. Helliwell, Richard Layard, Jeffrey D. Sachs, and Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, alongside associate editors Lara Aknin, Shun Wang, and Haifang Huang.
To formulate a ranking of the happiest nations worldwide and evaluate each country’s happiness, the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Solutions Network takes into consideration six key factors. The following parameters are examined:
The World Happiness Report’s top three positions were secured by Scandinavian countries. Finland has held the title of the world’s happiest nation for six consecutive years, followed by Denmark, Iceland, Israel, and the Netherlands. Among Western nations, the United States clinched the 15th position, while Britain ranked 19th and France secured the 21st spot.
India’s standing among South Asian nations was worse than only Afghanistan under the Taliban regime. Afghanistan ranked 137th, preceded by Lebanon, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Nepal (78), Bangladesh (118), Pakistan (108), and Sri Lanka (112) fared better than India in the rankings.
India’s placement improved by three positions from 139th in the 2021 report to 136th in the 2022 edition, and further to the 126th spot in the 2023 edition. As per the Happiness Report, India was among the countries where people’s assessment of their quality of life declined by more than one point on a 0 to 10 scale over the past decade. Several factors contribute to the nation’s ongoing unhappiness, including:
India’s position in the global happiness rankings is now 136th. In the 2021 ranking of the world’s happiness by the 9th World Happiness Report, India was placed 139th. This ranking became available in March 2021. In 2020, India held the 144th position. The World Happiness Report is published by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, in affiliation with the United Nations (UN). The latest edition of the study was released on March 20, 2021, coinciding with World Happiness Day.
The World Happiness Report assesses 146 nations based on various factors contributing to happiness, including GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, social freedom, charity, and absence of corruption.
As indicated by research from the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), Russia has descended to the 74th position in the World Happiness Index. Previously situated between Pakistan and the Philippines, Russia now holds the 68th spot among the happiest countries globally. Notably, in 2018, it held the 58th rank, which increased from the 49th position in 2017.
The relationship between happiness, government policies, and legal frameworks holds significance due to observations across various nations. It has been evident that countries with higher GDP and per capita income do not always translate to higher happiness levels. Additionally, a connection between happiness and the rule of law has been established.
The focus of public policy has now expanded to include the enhancement of people’s happiness. This has given rise to a new narrative that explores the interplay between law, government, and happiness. This shift in discourse emphasizes the importance of understanding and fostering well-being through legal and governance mechanisms.
Consistent findings from the World Happiness Reports (WHRs) have highlighted several key aspects:
Over time, happiness has emerged as a vital metric for both nations and corporations to monitor. The primary objective of the report is to identify the major factors that influence well-being. This knowledge is intended to guide nations in crafting strategies aimed at cultivating happier societies.
In the 9th World Happiness Report, India secured the 139th position in the World Happiness Rankings of 2021. This marked an improvement from its 144th rank in 2020. The report ranks a total of 140 countries.
The publication of the World Happiness Report is undertaken by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network to the United Nations (UN). The most recent edition was unveiled on March 20, 2021, coinciding with World Happiness Day.
India’s Rankings and Insights: India’s rank for happiness, as determined by the average life evaluations in 2020, was 92. The country’s overall rank for the period from 2018 to 2020 was 139.
The report draws upon data from the Gallup World Poll and other sources to derive its findings. Notable points from the official report include:
Happiness Rankings of India’s Neighbors: Among India’s neighboring countries, Sri Lanka ranked 32nd, Nepal secured the 87th spot, Bhutan’s rank was not mentioned, China placed 84th, Afghanistan ranked 149th, Pakistan stood at 105th, Bangladesh ranked 101st, Myanmar secured the 126th position, and the Maldives placed 89th.
Countries at the Bottom of the Rankings: The nations ranking at the bottom included Rwanda at 147th, Zimbabwe at 148th, and Afghanistan at 149th.
The United States held the 19th position in the global happiness rankings of 2021.
The World Happiness Report 2020 introduced a novel approach by ranking cities based on their subjective well-being and exploring how social, urban, and natural environments converge to impact happiness. The report utilized data spanning 2017 to 2019. Here are the primary findings from the United Nations’ World Happiness Report:
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