For the seventh consecutive year, Finland has occupied the top spot as the happiest country in the world, according to the World Happiness Report released today, Wednesday, in celebration of the International Day of Happiness.
France 24 news channel reported the news today without providing further details. The report, sponsored by the United Nations, covers 143 countries this year, ranking them based on several factors including gross domestic product per capita, expected healthy life, and the opinions of the country’s residents. Finland has been the happiest country on Earth for the past years, according to the World Happiness Survey, which relies on a life evaluation question based on the “Cantril ladder” scale from zero to 10.
Finland has consistently topped the list of the happiest countries in the World Happiness Report for years, even as the country deals with cold weather and long winter seasons, with parts of the country experiencing limited daylight for part of the year.
The World Happiness Report, now in its 2024 edition, focuses on the happiness of people at different life stages, challenging the notion that happiness declines with age and providing a more nuanced view of happiness across generations. It is a partnership among Gallup, the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and the WHR’s Editorial Board. The report ranks countries based on several factors, including life evaluations provided by residents using the Cantril Ladder, where respondents rate their current lives on a scale of 0 to 10.
The report has evolved over the years, initially focusing on the state of global happiness and the need for happiness to be a primary indicator of human development. It has covered various themes, including the impact of COVID-19 on global happiness, the relationship between happiness and community, and the effects of migration on happiness levels. The ranking is mainly based on data from the Gallup World Poll and incorporates factors like social support, income, health, freedom, trust, and generosity to determine the happiness levels of different nations.
