During Pandemic: Top 20 Happiest Countries in the World!

Source: Forbes

At a time like thiswhen the coronavirus pandemic is sweeping the globewe need some happy news. The annual World Happiness Report has just been released.

And while it seems like a strange time to be evaluating happiness, the editors of the report point out that challenging times can actually increase happiness. The global pandemic poses great risks for some of the main supports for well-being, most especially health and income, the editors explain. As revealed by earlier studies of earthquakes, floods, storms, tsunamis and even economic crises, a high trust society quite naturally looks for and finds co-operative ways to work together to repair the damage and rebuild better lives. This has led sometimes to surprising increases in happiness in the wake of what might otherwise seem to be unmitigated disasters.

The reason that people get happier in the fact of disasters? People are pleasantly surprised by the willingness of their neighbors and their institutions to work in harness to help each other, the editors write. This delivers a heightened sense of belonging, and pride in what they have been able to achieve by way of mitigation. These gains are sometimes great enough to compensate for the material losses.

The World Happiness Report is an annual survey by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network for the United Nations. It looks at the state of global happiness in 156 countries, ranking countries using the Gallup World Poll and six factors: levels of GDP, life expectancy, generosity, social support, freedom and corruption income. The World Happiness Report was originally launched in 2012.

World's 20 Happiest Countries

1. Finland

2. Denmark

3. Switzerland

4. Iceland

5. Norway

6. Netherlands

7. Sweden

8. New Zealand

9. Austria

10. Luxembourg

11. Canada

12. Australia

13. United Kingdom

14. Israel

15. Costa Rica

16. Ireland

17. Germany

18. United States

19. Czech Republic

20. Belgium

World's Unhappiest Countries

1. Afghanistan

2. South Sudan

3. Zimbabwe

4. Rwanda

5. Central African Republic

6. Tanzania

7. Botswana

8. Yemen

9. Malawi

10. India

Worlds Happiest Cities

1. Helsinki, Finland

2. Aarhus, Denmark

3. Wellington, New Zealand

4. Zurich, Switzerland

5. Copenhagen, Denmark

6. Bergen, Norway

7. Oslo, Norway

8. Tel Aviv, Israel

9. Stockholm, Sweden

10. Brisbane, Australia

Worlds Unhappiest Cities

1. Kabul, Afghanistan

2. Sanaa, Yemen

3. Gaza, Palestine

4. Port-a-Prince, Haiti

5. Juba, South Sudan

6. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

7. Delhi, India

8. Maseru, Lesotho

9. Bangui, Central African Republic

10. Cairo, Egypt

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