World’s Happiest Countries 2017

     

March 20th is the World Happiness Day, and the latest World Happiness Report 2017 has just been launched, published by The Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) (which was commissioned by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in 2012). This year Norway claimed the crown.  More background, highlights and rankings are

The first World Happiness Report was published in April, 2012, in support of the UN High Level Meeting on happiness and well-being. Since then the world has come a long way. Increasingly, happiness is considered to be the proper measure of social progress and the goal of public policy. In June 2016 the OECD committed itself “to redefine the growth narrative to put people’s well-being at the centre of governments’ efforts”. In February 2017, the United Arab Emirates held a full-day World Happiness meeting, as part of the World Government Summit.  Each country is also compared against a hypothetical nation called Dystopia. Dystopia represents the lowest national averages for each key variable and is, along with residual error, used as a regression benchmark.

Norway claims the crown for 2017

Norway has jumped from 4th place in 2016 to 1st place this year, followed by Denmark (2016 first), Iceland and Switzerland in a tightly packed bunch. All of the top four countries rank highly on all the main factors found to support happiness: caring, freedom, generosity, honesty, health, income and good governance.  Data is collected from people in over 150 countries. Each variable measured reveals a populated-weighted average score on a scale running from 0 to 10 that is tracked over time and compared against other countries. These variables currently include: real GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and perceptions of corruption (see Chapter 7 of the Report).

Some highlights of interests are:-

Happiness is both social and personal

This year’s report emphasizes the importance of the social foundations of happiness (see Chapter 2).  In richer countries the within-country differences are not mainly explained by income inequality, but by differences in mental health, physical health and personal relationships: the biggest single source of misery is mental illness (see Chapter 5).

People in China are no happier than 25 years ago

The latest report contrasts the sharply growing per capita income in China over the past 25 years with life evaluations that fell steadily from 1990 till about 2005, recovering since then to about the 1990 levels. They attribute the dropping happiness in the first part of the period to rising unemployment and fraying social safety nets, with recoveries since in both (see Chapter 3).

Much of Africa is struggling

Report says Africa is a much more diverse story, as fits the African reality with its great number and vast range of experiences. But these are often marked by delayed and disappointed hopes for happier lives (see Chapter 4).

Happiness has fallen in America

Report also says that USA is a story of reduced happiness. In 2007 the USA ranked 3rd among the OECD countries; in 2016 it came 19th. The reasons are declining social support and increased corruption (see Chapter 7) and it is these same factors that explain why the Nordic countries do so much better.

Below is the full 2017 Rankings (from Wikipedia):-  At the top, there is also a World map with happiness scores for 2016

Overall Rank	Country	Score	GDP per capita	Social support	Healthy life expectancy	Freedom to make life choices	Generosity	Trust	Dystopia
1	Norway	7.537	1.616	1.534	0.797	0.635	0.362	0.316	2.277
2	Denmark	7.522	1.482	1.551	0.793	0.626	0.355	0.401	2.314
3	Iceland	7.504	1.481	1.611	0.834	0.627	0.476	0.154	2.323
4	Switzerland	7.494	1.565	1.517	0.858	0.620	0.291	0.367	2.277
5	Finland	7.469	1.444	1.540	0.809	0.618	0.245	0.383	2.430
6	Netherlands	7.377	1.504	1.429	0.811	0.585	0.470	0.283	2.295
7	Canada	7.316	1.479	1.481	0.835	0.611	0.436	0.287	2.187
8	New Zealand	7.314	1.406	1.548	0.817	0.614	0.500	0.383	2.046
9	Australia	7.284	1.484	1.510	0.844	0.602	0.478	0.301	2.065
10	Sweden	7.284	1.494	1.478	0.831	0.613	0.385	0.384	2.098
11	Israel	7.213	1.375	1.376	0.838	0.406	0.330	0.085	2.802
12	Costa Rica	7.079	1.110	1.416	0.760	0.580	0.215	0.100	2.899
13	Austria	7.006	1.487	1.460	0.815	0.568	0.316	0.221	2.139
14	United States	6.993	1.546	1.420	0.774	0.506	0.393	0.136	2.218
15	Ireland	6.977	1.536	1.558	0.810	0.573	0.428	0.298	1.774
16	Germany	6.951	1.488	1.473	0.799	0.563	0.336	0.277	2.016
17	Belgium	6.891	1.464	1.462	0.818	0.540	0.232	0.251	2.124
18	Luxembourg	6.863	1.742	1.458	0.845	0.597	0.283	0.319	1.620
19	United Kingdom	6.714	1.442	1.496	0.805	0.508	0.493	0.265	1.704
20	Chile	6.652	1.253	1.284	0.819	0.377	0.327	0.082	2.510
21	United Arab Emirates	6.648	1.626	1.266	0.727	0.608	0.361	0.324	1.735
22	Brazil	6.635	1.107	1.431	0.617	0.437	0.162	0.111	2.769
23	Czech Republic	6.609	1.353	1.434	0.754	0.491	0.088	0.037	2.452
24	Argentina	6.599	1.185	1.440	0.695	0.495	0.109	0.060	2.614
25	Mexico	6.578	1.153	1.211	0.710	0.413	0.121	0.133	2.837
26	Singapore	6.572	1.692	1.354	0.949	0.550	0.346	0.464	1.216
27	Malta	6.527	1.343	1.488	0.822	0.589	0.575	0.153	1.557
28	Uruguay	6.454	1.218	1.412	0.719	0.579	0.175	0.178	2.172
29	Guatemala	6.454	0.872	1.256	0.540	0.531	0.283	0.077	2.894
30	Panama	6.452	1.234	1.373	0.706	0.550	0.211	0.071	2.307
31	France	6.442	1.431	1.388	0.844	0.470	0.130	0.173	2.006
32	Thailand	6.424	1.128	1.426	0.647	0.580	0.572	0.032	2.040
33	Taiwan	6.422	1.434	1.385	0.794	0.361	0.258	0.064	2.127
34	Spain	6.403	1.384	1.532	0.889	0.409	0.190	0.071	1.928
35	Qatar	6.375	1.871	1.274	0.710	0.604	0.330	0.439	1.145
36	Colombia	6.357	1.071	1.402	0.595	0.477	0.149	0.047	2.616
37	Saudi Arabia	6.344	1.531	1.287	0.590	0.450	0.148	0.273	2.065
38	Trinidad and Tobago	6.168	1.361	1.380	0.520	0.519	0.325	0.009	2.053
39	Kuwait	6.105	1.633	1.260	0.632	0.496	0.228	0.215	1.640
40	Slovakia	6.098	1.325	1.505	0.713	0.296	0.137	0.024	2.098
41	Bahrain	6.087	1.488	1.323	0.653	0.537	0.173	0.257	1.656
42	Malaysia	6.084	1.291	1.285	0.619	0.402	0.417	0.066	2.004
43	Nicaragua	6.071	0.737	1.287	0.653	0.448	0.302	0.131	2.514
44	Ecuador	6.008	1.001	1.286	0.686	0.455	0.150	0.140	2.290
45	El Salvador	6.003	0.910	1.182	0.596	0.432	0.078	0.090	2.715
46	Poland	5.973	1.292	1.446	0.699	0.520	0.158	0.059	1.798
47	Uzbekistan	5.971	0.786	1.549	0.498	0.658	0.416	0.247	1.817
48	Italy	5.964	1.395	1.445	0.853	0.256	0.173	0.028	1.813
49	Russia	5.963	1.282	1.469	0.547	0.374	0.052	0.033	2.206
50	Belize	5.956	0.908	1.081	0.450	0.548	0.240	0.097	2.632
51	Japan	5.920	1.417	1.436	0.913	0.506	0.121	0.164	1.363
52	Lithuania	5.902	1.315	1.474	0.629	0.234	0.010	0.012	2.228
53	Algeria	5.872	1.092	1.146	0.618	0.233	0.069	0.146	2.568
54	Latvia	5.850	1.261	1.405	0.639	0.326	0.153	0.074	1.994
55	Moldova	5.838	0.729	1.252	0.589	0.241	0.209	0.010	2.808
56	South Korea	5.838	1.402	1.128	0.900	0.258	0.207	0.063	1.880
57	Romania	5.825	1.218	1.150	0.685	0.457	0.134	0.004	2.177
58	Bolivia	5.823	0.834	1.228	0.474	0.559	0.226	0.060	2.443
59	Turkmenistan	5.822	1.131	1.493	0.438	0.418	0.250	0.259	1.833
60	Kazakhstan	5.819	1.285	1.384	0.606	0.437	0.202	0.119	1.785
61	North Cyprus	5.810	1.347	1.186	0.835	0.471	0.267	0.155	1.549
62	Slovenia	5.758	1.341	1.453	0.791	0.573	0.243	0.045	1.313
63	Peru	5.715	1.035	1.219	0.630	0.450	0.127	0.047	2.207
64	Mauritius	5.629	1.189	1.210	0.638	0.491	0.361	0.042	1.698
65	Cyprus	5.621	1.356	1.131	0.845	0.355	0.271	0.041	1.621
66	Estonia	5.611	1.321	1.477	0.695	0.479	0.099	0.183	1.358
67	Belarus	5.569	1.157	1.445	0.638	0.295	0.155	0.156	1.723
68	Libya	5.525	1.102	1.358	0.520	0.466	0.152	0.093	1.835
69	Turkey	5.500	1.198	1.338	0.638	0.301	0.047	0.100	1.879
70	Paraguay	5.493	0.933	1.507	0.579	0.474	0.224	0.091	1.685
71	Hong Kong	5.472	1.552	1.263	0.943	0.491	0.374	0.294	0.555
72	Philippines	5.430	0.858	1.254	0.468	0.585	0.194	0.099	1.973
73	Serbia	5.395	1.069	1.258	0.651	0.209	0.220	0.041	1.947
74	Jordan	5.336	0.991	1.239	0.605	0.418	0.172	0.120	1.791
75	Hungary	5.324	1.286	1.343	0.688	0.176	0.078	0.037	1.716
76	Jamaica	5.311	0.926	1.368	0.641	0.474	0.234	0.055	1.612
77	Croatia	5.293	1.223	0.968	0.701	0.256	0.248	0.043	1.854
78	Kosovo	5.279	0.951	1.138	0.541	0.260	0.320	0.057	2.011
79	China	5.273	1.081	1.161	0.741	0.473	0.029	0.023	1.765
80	Pakistan	5.269	0.727	0.673	0.402	0.235	0.315	0.124	2.792
81	Indonesia	5.262	0.996	1.274	0.492	0.443	0.612	0.015	1.429
82	Venezuela	5.250	1.128	1.431	0.617	0.154	0.065	0.064	1.789
83	Montenegro	5.237	1.121	1.238	0.667	0.195	0.198	0.088	1.729
84	Morocco	5.235	0.878	0.775	0.598	0.408	0.032	0.088	2.456
85	Azerbaijan	5.234	1.154	1.152	0.541	0.398	0.045	0.181	1.762
86	Dominican Republic	5.230	1.079	1.402	0.575	0.553	0.187	0.114	1.319
87	Greece	5.227	1.289	1.239	0.810	0.096	0.000	0.043	1.749
88	Lebanon	5.225	1.075	1.130	0.735	0.289	0.264	0.038	1.695
89	Portugal	5.195	1.315	1.367	0.796	0.498	0.095	0.016	1.108
90	Bosnia and Herzegovina	5.182	0.982	1.069	0.705	0.204	0.329	0.000	1.892
91	Honduras	5.181	0.731	1.144	0.583	0.348	0.236	0.073	2.066
92	Macedonia	5.175	1.065	1.208	0.645	0.326	0.254	0.060	1.617
93	Somalia	5.151	0.023	0.721	0.114	0.602	0.292	0.282	3.117
94	Vietnam	5.074	0.789	1.277	0.652	0.571	0.235	0.088	1.462
95	Nigeria	5.074	0.784	1.216	0.057	0.395	0.231	0.026	2.365
96	Tajikistan	5.041	0.525	1.271	0.529	0.472	0.249	0.146	1.849
97	Bhutan	5.011	0.885	1.340	0.496	0.502	0.474	0.173	1.140
98	Kyrgyzstan	5.004	0.596	1.394	0.553	0.455	0.429	0.039	1.537
99	Nepal	4.962	0.480	1.179	0.504	0.440	0.394	0.073	1.891
100	Mongolia	4.955	1.027	1.493	0.558	0.394	0.338	0.033	1.111
101	South Africa	4.829	1.055	1.385	0.187	0.479	0.139	0.073	1.511
102	Tunisia	4.805	1.007	0.868	0.613	0.290	0.050	0.087	1.890
103	Palestine	4.775	0.716	1.156	0.566	0.255	0.114	0.089	1.879
104	Egypt	4.735	0.990	0.997	0.520	0.282	0.129	0.114	1.702
105	Bulgaria	4.714	1.161	1.434	0.708	0.289	0.113	0.011	0.996
106	Sierra Leone	4.709	0.368	0.984	0.006	0.319	0.293	0.071	2.668
107	Cameroon	4.695	0.564	0.946	0.133	0.430	0.236	0.051	2.334
108	Iran	4.692	1.157	0.712	0.639	0.249	0.387	0.049	1.499
109	Albania	4.644	0.996	0.804	0.731	0.381	0.201	0.040	1.490
110	Bangladesh	4.608	0.587	0.735	0.533	0.478	0.172	0.124	1.979
111	Namibia	4.574	0.964	1.098	0.339	0.520	0.077	0.093	1.482
112	Kenya	4.553	0.560	1.068	0.310	0.453	0.445	0.065	1.652
113	Mozambique	4.550	0.234	0.871	0.107	0.481	0.322	0.179	2.356
114	Myanmar	4.545	0.367	1.123	0.398	0.514	0.838	0.189	1.115
115	Senegal	4.535	0.479	1.180	0.409	0.378	0.183	0.115	1.790
116	Zambia	4.514	0.636	1.003	0.258	0.462	0.250	0.078	1.827
117	Iraq	4.497	1.103	0.979	0.501	0.289	0.200	0.107	1.319
118	Gabon	4.465	1.198	1.156	0.357	0.312	0.044	0.076	1.323
119	Ethiopia	4.460	0.339	0.865	0.353	0.409	0.313	0.165	2.016
120	Sri Lanka	4.440	1.010	1.260	0.625	0.561	0.491	0.074	0.419
121	Armenia	4.376	0.901	1.007	0.638	0.198	0.083	0.027	1.521
122	India	4.315	0.792	0.754	0.455	0.470	0.232	0.092	1.519
123	Mauritania	4.292	0.648	1.272	0.285	0.096	0.202	0.137	1.652
124	Congo (Brazzaville)	4.291	0.809	0.832	0.290	0.435	0.121	0.080	1.724
125	Georgia	4.286	0.951	0.571	0.650	0.309	0.054	0.252	1.500
126	Congo (Kinshasa)	4.280	0.092	1.229	0.191	0.236	0.246	0.060	2.225
127	Mali	4.190	0.476	1.281	0.169	0.307	0.183	0.105	1.668
128	Ivory Coast	4.180	0.603	0.905	0.049	0.448	0.201	0.130	1.845
129	Cambodia	4.168	0.602	1.006	0.430	0.633	0.386	0.068	1.043
130	Sudan	4.139	0.660	1.214	0.291	0.015	0.182	0.090	1.687
131	Ghana	4.120	0.667	0.874	0.296	0.423	0.257	0.025	1.578
132	Ukraine	4.096	0.895	1.395	0.576	0.123	0.270	0.023	0.814
133	Uganda	4.081	0.381	1.130	0.218	0.443	0.326	0.057	1.526
134	Burkina Faso	4.032	0.350	1.043	0.216	0.324	0.251	0.120	1.727
135	Niger	4.028	0.162	0.993	0.269	0.364	0.229	0.139	1.874
136	Malawi	3.970	0.233	0.513	0.315	0.467	0.287	0.073	2.082
137	Chad	3.936	0.438	0.954	0.041	0.162	0.216	0.054	2.071
138	Zimbabwe	3.875	0.376	1.083	0.197	0.336	0.189	0.095	1.598
139	Lesotho	3.808	0.521	1.190	0.000	0.391	0.157	0.119	1.430
140	Angola	3.795	0.858	1.104	0.050	0.000	0.098	0.070	1.614
141	Afghanistan	3.794	0.401	0.582	0.181	0.106	0.312	0.061	2.151
142	Botswana	3.766	1.122	1.222	0.342	0.505	0.099	0.099	0.378
143	Benin	3.657	0.431	0.435	0.210	0.426	0.208	0.061	1.886
144	Madagascar	3.644	0.306	0.913	0.375	0.189	0.209	0.067	1.585
145	Haiti	3.603	0.369	0.640	0.277	0.030	0.489	0.100	1.697
146	Yemen	3.593	0.592	0.935	0.310	0.249	0.104	0.057	1.346
147	South Sudan	3.591	0.397	0.601	0.163	0.147	0.286	0.117	1.880
148	Liberia	3.533	0.119	0.872	0.230	0.333	0.267	0.039	1.673
149	Guinea	3.507	0.245	0.791	0.194	0.349	0.265	0.111	1.552
150	Togo	3.495	0.305	0.432	0.247	0.380	0.197	0.096	1.837
151	Rwanda	3.471	0.369	0.946	0.326	0.582	0.253	0.455	0.540
152	Syria	3.462	0.777	0.396	0.501	0.082	0.494	0.151	1.062
153	Tanzania	3.349	0.511	1.042	0.365	0.390	0.354	0.066	0.621
154	Burundi	2.905	0.092	0.630	0.152	0.060	0.204	0.084	1.683
155	Central African Republic	2.693	0.000	0.000	0.019	0.271	0.281	0.057	2.066

 

The 2016 rankings can also be found in the same Wikipedia article, and wouldn’t it be nice to visit these happiest countries and experience/understand why?  Here’s the National Geographic article.

 

Credits and Sources:  World Happiest Report 2017 (http://worldhappiness.report/ed/2017/)

Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Happiness_Report

National Geographic – http://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/top-10/2016-worlds-happiest-countries/    (including the photos)

World Map with happiness scores (By Tycragg – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=53806106)