Which country has the highest happiness index in the world?

With so many countries around the world, which one will be the country with the highest happiness index? 

One of the main goals in life for the vast majority of people is to achieve their dream of happiness.

Regardless of what provides this feeling – it could be money, relationships, success, travel, emotional stability, friendships and so on – achieving the much-desired happiness is practically unanimous.

And many factors end up influencing the increase or decrease of this happiness – as you will see throughout the text.

But speaking of happiness, which country has the highest happiness rate in the world? That's what we're going to find out together throughout the text.

In this content, we will find out which nation, in general, has the highest happiness index in the world.

And, in addition to getting to know the very first place in this happiness ranking, we will also talk a little more about other countries that are close to the top of this list and how this type of research is measured.

The origin of the vote that shows the country with the highest happiness index

First of all, how about we understand a little better how this type of research came about?

Even though it is something that, for the vast majority of the population, ends up going unnoticed, in March – more precisely on the 20th – the International Day of Happiness is celebrated.

Created in 2013 by the UN (United Nations), the main objective of the date is to raise awareness among the population about the importance of being happy and seeking our happiness, regardless of what it is.

And, inspired by this date, the entity also publishes a report called the World Happiness Report. 

In this report, the organization lists the countries that can be considered the happiest in the world.

And since then, the list has been published annually, allowing us to know which country has the highest happiness index in the world.

How is the country with the highest happiness index defined?

You might be wondering how this research is carried out and how the country with the highest happiness index is defined, right?

In most of these surveys, the UN uses data from the Gallup World Poll, a US-based opinion research company.

What criteria are used to define the country with the highest happiness index?

When looking for the country with the highest happiness index, some factors were analyzed that, according to the UN and Gallup, are decisive in defining this result.

During its assessment, the World Happiness Report takes into account the following aspects: 

Gross Domestic Product (GDP); life expectancy; freedom of expression; social support; generosity and perception of corruption.

Prioritizing these criteria, research is carried out in more than 140 countries.

During this phase, residents of these countries give their opinion on the six topics mentioned here.

After collecting a certain amount of opinions, the data is calculated and, subsequently, the result is disclosed to the entire population.

Which country has the highest happiness index in the world?

Now let's get to what matters: the result! 

(Drum roll, please!)

And the country with the highest happiness index is… Finland!

After carrying out the research, the results showed that the country with the highest happiness index in the world is Finland!

In addition to this victory, the Nordic country also deserves to be highlighted for a very special achievement. Finland was elected the happiest place in the world for the fourth consecutive year!

And one point worth mentioning – and praising – is Finland's merit in achieving this position for so many consecutive years and even during the COVID-19 pandemic present throughout the world.

It is quite commendable that, despite all the restrictions and health regulations that have been in force since the beginning of 2020 across the world, Finland has still maintained its position as the country with the highest happiness index in the world.

Other countries that make up the top 10 happiest countries in the world

Although becoming the country with the highest happiness index in the world is something that should be praised, it is important to remember that there are other countries that make up the top 10 happiest countries in the world.

And that's also a huge achievement!

According to the World Happiness Report, the other countries that are on the list according to the vote that was carried out in 2022 are:

Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Sweden, Norway, Israel and New Zealand.

Countries that were voted the least happy in the world

As interesting as it is to talk about the countries with the highest happiness index in the world, the opposite is also a reality and should be discussed.

As the election for the country with the highest happiness index in the world is done through points and, then, an average score for the country is calculated, there are also countries that did not perform well in this evaluation.

This means that, in general, the population is not happy according to the 6 factors – Gross Domestic Product (GDP); life expectancy; freedom of expression; social support; generosity and perception of corruption – in their countries of origin.

Among the countries that were elected with the lowest happiness rates in 2021 are:

Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Botswana, Haiti, Tanzania, Yemen, India, Sierra Leone and Burundi.

When looking at the list, we can see a common factor among almost all of them: they are countries that suffer from extreme poverty, conflicts and the lack of effective government policies.

And on top of all this, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic can also be contributed to their positions.

These factors, without a doubt, are decisive for them to be in such low positions on this list.

Conclusion

So, did you already know about this research and this tradition?

This type of list is a good option for us to learn a little more about the cultures of other countries and, who knows, even choose what our next holiday destination will be.

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