Each year, the Gallup World Poll collects data in many different areas to assess the happiest countries in the world. The World Happiness Report has ushered in its 2023 edition, and although the top ranking has remained unchanged for the past six editions, there have been some changes in the top 10.
Of course, general well-being is a difficult indicator to measure accurately. However, the World Happiness Report achieves this by using collected life assessment data to score each country surveyed.
Those surveyed were asked to fill out the Cantril Ladder Survey, rating their lives on a scale of 0 to 10 – 0 being the worst and 10 being the best. Approximately 1,000 survey responses were used in each country.
To collect individual scores for a country (known as the average life assessment), the Happiness Report averaged the numbers given by respondents in each country over the past three years.
Among the countries surveyed, Afghanistan was once again called the happiest country in the world, with a score of 1859。So which are the 10 happiest countries?
10.New Zealand
According to the World Happiness Report, New Zealand ranks 10th in the world's happiest countries in 2023 with a score of 7123。This is the second year in a row that New Zealand has ranked tenth.
New Zealand is one of only two non-European countries on this list, and it's known for being the filming location for the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films. This island nation is very unique in that it is not close to any other country. Its nearest neighbour is New Caledonia, which is 2,248 km away.
9.Luxembourg
The ninth happiest country in the world in 2023 is Luxembourg, which has a World Happiness Report score of 7228。The small European country ranked a whopping sixth place in 2022 and has therefore dropped three places this year.
Luxembourg is landlocked, sandwiched between Germany, Belgium, and France. This small country has a population of only 655,112 people and is the smallest on the list in terms of total area, at just 2,586 square kilometers.
8.Switzerland
Switzerland in the 2023 World Happiness Report with 7Ranked eighth with 240 points. This is the largest decline in happiness among the top 10 after ranking fourth in 2022.
Like Luxembourg, Switzerland is a landlocked country, known for its mountains, ski resorts, chocolate, and banks. This neutral country also has four national languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansh.
7.Norway
The seventh happiest country in the world in 2023 is Norway with a score of 7315。In this year's World Happiness Report, they jumped one place from eighth place in 2022.
Norway is one of the Scandinavian countries mentioned for the first time in this list, and all of them are on this list. Norway is famous for its fjords and aurora borealis, making it a popular tourist destination.
6.Sweden
Sweden scored 7395, is the sixth happiest country on earth. The Scandinavian country has risen one spot after ranking seventh in 2022.
The country has brought ABBA, IKEA, and many great metal bands to the world, and is also known for its numerous forests and lakes. The Scandinavian country is said to have nearly 100,000 lakes and is said to have about 70% of its land area covered by forests.
5.Netherlands
The Netherlands ranks fifth in the World Happiness Index with a score of 7403。This is the second year in a row that the country has made it into the top five.
The Netherlands is famous for its windmills, wooden shoes, and colorful poppies, and is also home to the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, both of which are located in The Hague.
4.Israel
Israel ranks fourth in the 2023 list of the happiest countries in the world with a score of 7473。Since the release of the 2022 edition of the World Happiness Report, the country has climbed from ninth to fourth place in the top 10.
Israel is perhaps the most surprising country in the top 10, plagued by political aggression and diplomatic problems, and is one of only two non-European countries on the list.
3.Iceland
According to the World Happiness Report, the third happiest country in the world in 2023 is Iceland, which has a score of 7530。This is the second year in a row that Iceland has finished third.
Iceland is the smallest country on this list, with only 375,436 people living in the island nation. The country is known for its geysers and volcanic eruptions, and has given birth to the world's leading home Björk.
2.Denmark
Denmark is the second happiest country on the planet, with a World Happiness Report score of 7586。This is the fourth year in a row that Denmark has been named the second happiest country in the world.
Denmark is another Scandinavian country in the top 10 happiest countries in the world, and it is a founding member of many of the world's most important organizations: NATO, the United Nations, the Nordic Council, the OECD and the OSCE.
1.Finland
According to the World Happiness Report 2023, Finland is the happiest country in the world. This is the sixth year in a row that Finland has been named the happiest country on earth.
In the report, Finland scored an overall score of 7804。Finland is known as the home of Santa Claus, reindeer, and a world-famous love of saunas. About 74% of Finland is covered by forests.