After Finland, Denmark and Iceland are in the top three, and Israel and the Netherlands are in the top five. Other countries in the top ten are Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Luxembourg and New Zealand. Germany fell two places from last year to 16th place, while the US, UK and France ranked 15th, 19th and 21st respectively.
Israel’s high ranking in the World Happiness Report is controversial and is considered fundamentally misinformation because the Palestinian population living under Israeli occupation is not included in the survey. The happiness and well-being of Palestinians has been significantly affected by the ongoing conflict, systematic discrimination and human rights violations they face on a daily basis. Including them would probably have put Israel near the bottom and among the happiest countries.
Afghanistan and Lebanon were still the two happiest countries in the study, with war-torn nations experiencing significantly lower life evaluations than the happiest countries. Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe and Congo were among the top five happiest countries in the world.
Experts attribute Finland’s happiness to, among other things, the country’s strong welfare system and urban planning, which help citizens feel safe, healthy and connected to their communities. The report also found that everyday acts of kindness, such as helping strangers, donating to charity and volunteering, have risen above pre-pandemic levels.
The UN General Assembly declared March 20 as the International Day of Happiness in 2012 and emphasized the pursuit of happiness as a basic human goal.
The world’s 20 happiest countries in 2023:
- Finland
- Denmark
- Iceland
- Israel
- Netherlands
- Swedish
- Norway
- Switzerland
- Luxembourg
- New Zealand
- Austria
- Australia
- Canada
- Ireland
- United States
- Germany
- Belgium
- Czech Republic
- United Kingdom
- Lithuania
The world’s 20 happiest countries in 2023:
- Afghanistan
- Lebanon
- Sierra Leone
- Zimbabwe
- Congo
- Botswana
- Malawi
- Comoros
- Tanzania
- Zambia
- Madagascar
- India
- Liberia
- Ethiopia
- Jordan
- Go
- Egypt
- Wormwood
- The Gambia
- Bangladesh
HT