World Happiness Report 2022: The top ten happiest countries of the world

World Happiness Report 2022: This year, the 10th edition of the report was released on March 18, 2022, which identified Finland as the happiest country of the world, for the fifth times in a row.

Published since 2012, the World Happiness Report is based on two key ideas – happiness or life evaluation measured through opinion surveys and identifying key elements that determine well-being and life evaluation across countries. Published by United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the report contains rankings of national happiness based on several factors, and primarily on the responses by the individuals.

The World Happiness Report usually ranks 150 countries based on several factors such as real GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity and perceptions of corruption. Every year, each variable measures a populated-weighted average score on a scale of 0-10 that is tracked over a period of time and further compared with other countries. This year, the report ranked 146 countries.

This year, countries which ranked in the top 10 last year, moved upwards and downwards. Only Austria dropped out from the top 10 list. On the other hand, Afghanistan was ranked as the most unhappy country in the world. It was soon followed by Lebanon and Zimbabwe.

The top three positions in the World Happiness Report were won by three of the Scandinavian nations. Following Finland in the top 10 ranks is Denmark which also was ranked as the second-happiest country in last year’s report. Iceland, Switzerland and Netherlands followed Finland and Denmark in the top 10 category. Take a look at the top 10 countries of the World Happiness Report, 2022 here:

1. Finland

2. Denmark

3. Iceland

4. Switzerland

5. The Netherlands

6. Luxembourg

7. Sweden

8. Norway

9. Israel

10. New Zealand