Finland was, once again, voted the happiest country in the world. Denmark is also ahead of Norway, which is number three on the list.
The World Happiness Report was announced on Wednesday. The election is based on surveys Gallup has conducted in the years 2016–2018. The closest to the top three countries on the list are Iceland, the
Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, New Zealand, Canada, and Austria.
This year’s report explores the development since these surveys were made for the first time in 2005/2006. There has been a positive
development at the national level, but if one takes into account population growth, the world’s happiness rate has fallen in recent
years. This is partly due to a persistent, downward trend in populous India.
Among the 20 countries that believe they have been happier over the last twelve years, we find ten in Central and Eastern Europe, five in
sub-Saharan Africa, and three in Latin America.
The ten countries experiencing the greatest decline are typically affected by economic,political or social problems, including Yemen,
India, Syria, Botswana, and Venezuela.
In this year’s report, Professor Jeffrey Sachs also considered how addiction in various forms helps to make the people of the United States unhappy. This year, the country is ranked 19th.
‘’This year’s report gives a sober picture of how addiction causes significant unhappiness in the United States. Addiction comes in many different forms, from substance abuse to gambling and digital media’’ said Sachs.
156 countries are included on the list in the report.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
