It is an undeniable fact, it is good to live in the Nordic countries! The World Happinness Report established by the United Nations was presented at the Vatican last Wednesday and it is no surprise that we find three Scandinavian countries at the top of the list. After Norway last year, this time it is its neighbor Finland which takes first place on the podium. It also comes first in terms of the happiness of emigrants. Apparently, the freezing temperatures and long sunless winters do not prevent the inhabitants from being happy there, far from it...
To achieve this annual ranking, the UN asks a panel of around 1,000 people about the perception of their quality of life, which they must rate on a scale of 1 to 10. Among the many criteria of the World Happiness Report are compassion , freedom, generosity, honesty, health, social assistance or good governance of the country. The American economist Jeffrey D. Sachs explains that this report, which has been around since 2012, helps governments, which “are increasingly using happiness indicators for decision-making and policy development .
Thus, after Finland, Norway and Denmark, we find in the top 10:Iceland, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Canada, New Zealand, Sweden and Australia.
France is not badly off either and climbs to 23rd position, a jump of 8 places compared to last year. On the other hand, it is ranked 29th out of 117 concerning the happiness of foreigners... Meanwhile, the United States lost 4 places and found itself 18th, a year after the arrival of Donald Trump at the White House, Germany in also loses one (15th) and England stagnates in 19th position.
Finally, among the unfortunate, at the very bottom of the list, we find South Sudan, the Central African Republic, and Burundi, very poor countries affected by ethnic violence...
Well, suddenly, we would do well for a little trip to Finland to capture their positive vibes! Don't you?
