Table of Contents
The world happiness report is the annual survey of the state of happiness the citizens feel in their respective countries.
Global Happiness Index 2020
1. Top position is acquired by Finland followed by Denmark, Switzerland respectively.
2. India slipped down from 140 ranks in 2019 to 144 ranks in 2020 making its way to close to one of the least happy countries in the world.
3. Zimbabwe, South Sudan, and Afghanistan were placed at the bottom.
About the Report
1. The world happiness report 2020 is published by United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
2. World happiness index 2020 list included 156 countries.
3. Theme of this year report is environments for happiness with special attention to the social environment, happiness in urban and rural areas, and the natural environment, including links between happiness and sustainable development.
4. This year’s report for the first time ranks cities by their subjective well-being and brings out more insights to how the social, urban and natural environments combine to affect our happiness.
Ranking system
1) It is based on the data collected from the Gallup World Poll.
2) Factors taken into consideration are:- Real GDP per capita, social support, Healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and perceptions of corruption
3) Dystopia, an imaginary country that has the world’s least-happy people is made as the benchmark index against which all other countries are compared.
Which country topped the World Happiness Report 2019?
Finland on the top spot on the happiest country for the second consecutive year as per the world happiness report for 2019. According to reports, surveyed by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network Finland is the happiest country amongst 156 nations.
What are the 6 variables in the World Happiness Report?
The World Happiness Report was recently released by the United Nations World Happiness Program, a division of the United Nations. This is the world’s report on how we are faring as a society, and whether or not we are on the road to happiness or if we are slipping down the path of destruction.
The report looked at the variables that contribute to happiness and what we can do to bring more of them into our lives. It also looks at what we can do to lessen the variables that lead to unhappiness. This global look at the world says that there are various variables that we need to keep an eye on, as we strive to be happy.
One of the variables looked at in the world happiness report is education. People who are educated tend to be happier than those that are not, so it might be a good idea for us as parents to try to get our children more education.
Another factor that was covered in the report is that people who have health and wellness are happier than those who don’t. When we are healthy and have access to the good things in life like good food, clean water and shelter, we tend to be happier.
There are several other health factors that are included in the world-happiness report as well, which makes it easier to get a handle on how we can all get more out of life.
The third thing that is included in the world happiness report is religion. People who are religious tend to be happier than those who aren’t. This may seem like a no brainer, but sometimes we all need some extra encouragement to get to the next level of happiness.
Other religions that are included in the report also help us measure our levels of happiness. For example, the happiness variable is measured with regard to religious attendance. There is a particular value assigned to attending religious services on a regular basis, which helps people to see that they are connected to something bigger than their private lives.
Happiest Country in the World 2020 List and What are the top 20 happiest countries?
| Country | Happiness Rank | Happiness Score | Population 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finland | 1 | 7.769 | 5,540,720 |
| Denmark | 2 | 7.6 | 5,792,202 |
| Norway | 3 | 7.554 | 5,421,241 |
| Iceland | 4 | 7.494 | 341,243 |
| Netherlands | 5 | 7.488 | 17,134,872 |
| Switzerland | 6 | 7.48 | 8,654,622 |
| Sweden | 7 | 7.343 | 10,099,265 |
| New Zealand | 8 | 7.307 | 4,822,233 |
| Canada | 9 | 7.278 | 37,742,154 |
| Austria | 10 | 7.246 | 9,006,398 |
| Australia | 11 | 7.228 | 25,499,884 |
| Costa Rica | 12 | 7.167 | 5,094,118 |
| Israel | 13 | 7.139 | 8,655,535 |
| Luxembourg | 14 | 7.09 | 625,978 |
| United Kingdom | 15 | 7.054 | 67,886,011 |
| Ireland | 16 | 7.021 | 4,937,786 |
| Germany | 17 | 6.985 | 83,783,942 |
| Belgium | 18 | 6.923 | 11,589,623 |
| United States | 19 | 6.892 | 331,002,651 |
| Czech Republic | 20 | 6.852 | 10,708,981 |
| United Arab Emirates | 21 | 6.825 | 9,890,402 |
| Malta | 22 | 6.726 | 441,543 |
| Mexico | 23 | 6.595 | 128,932,753 |
| France | 24 | 6.592 | 65,273,511 |
| Taiwan | 25 | 6.446 | 23,816,775 |
| Chile | 26 | 6.444 | 19,116,201 |
| Guatemala | 27 | 6.436 | 17,915,568 |
| Saudi Arabia | 28 | 6.375 | 34,813,871 |
| Qatar | 29 | 6.374 | 2,881,053 |
| Spain | 30 | 6.354 | 46,754,778 |
| Panama | 31 | 6.321 | 4,314,767 |
| Brazil | 32 | 6.3 | 212,559,417 |
| Uruguay | 33 | 6.293 | 3,473,730 |
| Singapore | 34 | 6.262 | 5,850,342 |
| El Salvador | 35 | 6.253 | 6,486,205 |
| Italy | 36 | 6.223 | 60,461,826 |
| Bahrain | 37 | 6.199 | 1,701,575 |
| Slovakia | 38 | 6.198 | 5,459,642 |
| Trinidad And Tobago | 39 | 6.192 | 1,399,488 |
| Poland | 40 | 6.182 | 37,846,611 |
| Uzbekistan | 41 | 6.174 | 33,469,203 |
| Lithuania | 42 | 6.149 | 2,722,289 |
| Colombia | 43 | 6.125 | 50,882,891 |
| Slovenia | 44 | 6.118 | 2,078,938 |
| Nicaragua | 45 | 6.105 | 6,624,554 |
| Argentina | 47 | 6.086 | 45,195,774 |
| Romania | 48 | 6.07 | 19,237,691 |
| Ecuador | 50 | 6.028 | 17,643,054 |
| Kuwait | 51 | 6.021 | 4,270,571 |
| Thailand | 52 | 6.008 | 69,799,978 |
| Latvia | 53 | 5.94 | 1,886,198 |
| South Korea | 54 | 5.895 | 51,269,185 |
| Estonia | 55 | 5.893 | 1,326,535 |
| Jamaica | 56 | 5.89 | 2,961,167 |
| Mauritius | 57 | 5.888 | 1,271,768 |
| Japan | 58 | 5.886 | 126,476,461 |
| Honduras | 59 | 5.86 | 9,904,607 |
| Kazakhstan | 60 | 5.809 | 18,776,707 |
| Bolivia | 61 | 5.779 | 11,673,021 |
| Hungary | 62 | 5.758 | 9,660,351 |
| Paraguay | 63 | 5.743 | 7,132,538 |
| Cyprus | 64 | 5.718 | 1,207,359 |
| Peru | 65 | 5.697 | 32,971,854 |
| Portugal | 66 | 5.693 | 10,196,709 |
| Pakistan | 67 | 5.653 | 220,892,340 |
| Russia | 68 | 5.648 | 145,934,462 |
| Philippines | 69 | 5.631 | 109,581,078 |
| Serbia | 70 | 5.603 | 8,737,371 |
| Moldova | 71 | 5.529 | 4,033,963 |
| Libya | 72 | 5.525 | 6,871,292 |
| Montenegro | 73 | 5.523 | 628,066 |
| Tajikistan | 74 | 5.467 | 9,537,645 |
| Croatia | 75 | 5.432 | 4,105,267 |
| Hong Kong | 76 | 5.43 | 7,496,981 |
| Dominican Republic | 77 | 5.425 | 10,847,910 |
| Bosnia And Herzegovina | 78 | 5.386 | 3,280,819 |
| Turkey | 79 | 5.373 | 84,339,067 |
| Malaysia | 80 | 5.339 | 32,365,999 |
| Belarus | 81 | 5.323 | 9,449,323 |
| Greece | 82 | 5.287 | 10,423,054 |
| Mongolia | 83 | 5.285 | 3,278,290 |
| Nigeria | 85 | 5.265 | 206,139,589 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 86 | 5.261 | 6,524,195 |
| Turkmenistan | 87 | 5.247 | 6,031,200 |
| Algeria | 88 | 5.211 | 43,851,044 |
| Morocco | 89 | 5.208 | 36,910,560 |
| Azerbaijan | 90 | 5.208 | 10,139,177 |
| Lebanon | 91 | 5.197 | 6,825,445 |
| Indonesia | 92 | 5.192 | 273,523,615 |
| China | 93 | 5.191 | 1,439,323,776 |
| Vietnam | 94 | 5.175 | 97,338,579 |
| Bhutan | 95 | 5.082 | 771,608 |
| Cameroon | 96 | 5.044 | 26,545,863 |
| Bulgaria | 97 | 5.011 | 6,948,445 |
| Ghana | 98 | 4.996 | 31,072,940 |
| Ivory Coast | 99 | 4.944 | 26,378,274 |
| Nepal | 100 | 4.913 | 29,136,808 |
| Jordan | 101 | 4.906 | 10,203,134 |
| Benin | 102 | 4.883 | 12,123,200 |
| Republic Of The Congo | 103 | 4.812 | 5,518,087 |
| Gabon | 104 | 4.799 | 2,225,734 |
| Laos | 105 | 4.796 | 7,275,560 |
| South Africa | 106 | 4.722 | 59,308,690 |
| Albania | 107 | 4.719 | 2,877,797 |
| Venezuela | 108 | 4.707 | 28,435,940 |
| Cambodia | 109 | 4.7 | 16,718,965 |
| Palestine | 110 | 4.696 | 5,101,414 |
| Senegal | 111 | 4.681 | 16,743,927 |
| Somalia | 112 | 4.668 | 15,893,222 |
| Namibia | 113 | 4.639 | 2,540,905 |
| Niger | 114 | 4.628 | 24,206,644 |
| Burkina Faso | 115 | 4.587 | 20,903,273 |
| Armenia | 116 | 4.559 | 2,963,243 |
| Iran | 117 | 4.548 | 83,992,949 |
| Guinea | 118 | 4.534 | 13,132,795 |
| Georgia | 119 | 4.519 | 3,989,167 |
| Gambia | 120 | 4.516 | 2,416,668 |
| Kenya | 121 | 4.509 | 53,771,296 |
| Mauritania | 122 | 4.49 | 4,649,658 |
| Mozambique | 123 | 4.466 | 31,255,435 |
| Tunisia | 124 | 4.461 | 11,818,619 |
| Bangladesh | 125 | 4.456 | 164,689,383 |
| Iraq | 126 | 4.437 | 40,222,493 |
| Dr Congo | 127 | 4.418 | 89,561,403 |
| Mali | 128 | 4.39 | 20,250,833 |
| Sierra Leone | 129 | 4.374 | 7,976,983 |
| Sri Lanka | 130 | 4.366 | 21,413,249 |
| Myanmar | 131 | 4.36 | 54,409,800 |
| Chad | 132 | 4.35 | 16,425,864 |
| Ukraine | 133 | 4.332 | 43,733,762 |
| Ethiopia | 134 | 4.286 | 114,963,588 |
| Uganda | 136 | 4.189 | 45,741,007 |
| Egypt | 137 | 4.166 | 102,334,404 |
| Zambia | 138 | 4.107 | 18,383,955 |
| Togo | 139 | 4.085 | 8,278,724 |
| India | 140 | 4.015 | 1,380,004,385 |
| Liberia | 141 | 3.975 | 5,057,681 |
| Comoros | 142 | 3.973 | 869,601 |
| Madagascar | 143 | 3.933 | 27,691,018 |
| Lesotho | 144 | 3.802 | 2,142,249 |
| Burundi | 145 | 3.775 | 11,890,784 |
| Zimbabwe | 146 | 3.663 | 14,862,924 |
| Haiti | 147 | 3.597 | 11,402,528 |
| Botswana | 148 | 3.488 | 2,351,627 |
| Syria | 149 | 3.462 | 17,500,658 |
| Malawi | 150 | 3.41 | 19,129,952 |
| Yemen | 151 | 3.38 | 29,825,964 |
| Rwanda | 152 | 3.334 | 12,952,218 |
| Tanzania | 153 | 3.231 | 59,734,218 |
| Afghanistan | 154 | 3.203 | 38,928,346 |
| Central African Republic | 155 | 3.083 | 4,829,767 |
| South Sudan | 156 | 2.853 | 11,193,725 |
Sources; World Happiness Report 2020 and worldpopulationreview
