The Happiest Countries In The World Were Ranked & It May Make You Want To Move
Pack your bags, 'cause we're going!
A woman in Denmark.
We've all had a rough couple of years with the pandemic, but there are some countries in the world where people are still finding joy in everyday life, according to the new World Happiness Report for 2022.
The United Nations-backed report ranks the happiest countries in the world based on global survey data, and the results suggest that it's hard to get the happiest people down.
According to the 2022 report, the happiest country in the world is Finland, and it's been that way for five straight years now.
They must be doing something right!
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."\n\nOut today: World Happiness Report 2022 https://worldhappiness.report/news/amid-war-and-disease-world-happiness-report-shows-bright-spot/\u00a0\u2026 #WHR2022pic.twitter.com/wfYOsjUNNM— Treasury Finland (@Treasury Finland) 1647589959
Coming in second place is Denmark, followed by Iceland, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
Most countries ranking in the top 10 were Nordic nations in Europe, although Israel and New Zealand did round out the list at 9th and 10th spot, respectively.
Canada and the United States remained neck-and-neck as they often have on these lists, at 15th and 16th spot.
At the bottom of the list are many countries impacted by severe poverty, war and conflict, as well as the financial and healthcare struggles caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. That includes Botswana, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Lebanon and Afghanistan in the final spot.
The numbers were put together before Russia invaded Ukraine in February. Ukraine is ranked 98th in the list.
The World Happiness Report uses global survey data to determine how satisfied people are with their lives in more 150 countries worldwide. The goal is to point countries toward new policies that could lead them to happier societies.
Despite the turmoil brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, people reported being kinder to one another in three key ways: helping strangers, volunteering and donating money to others.
Here are the top 20 happiest countries in the world:
1. Finland
2. Denmark
3. Iceland
4. Switzerland
5. Netherlands
6. Luxembourg
7. Sweden
8. Norway
9. Israel
10. New Zealand
11. Austria
12. Australia
13. Ireland
14. Germany
15. Canada
16. United States
17. United Kingdom
18. Czechia (Czech Republic)
19. Belgium
20. France