The United Nations has released their 2017 World Happiness Report – an effort aimed at focusing global leaders’ attention on the welfare of their fellow citizens rather than traditional, economic metrics such as GDP.
The report asked respondents to rank their happiness on the scale of zero to 10 – with 10 representing the best possible life and zero representing their worst possible life.
The top countries were Western, developed countries – with Australia placing ninth.
India ranks 122 out of 155 countries surveyed.
Norway is the happiest nation
Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, who is facing a tough re-election battle in September, welcomed Norway’s number one position as "a nice validation on a Monday morning.”
“For many years, Norway has been behind Denmark in this ranking,” she wrote on Facebook.
Norway, the largest oil producer in Western Europe, is a prosperous country – despite a recent drop in oil prices – with a very generous welfare state.
Other studies have shown that Norway is one of the best countries at translating wealth into happiness.
The 10 happiest countries:
1. Norway
2. Denmark
3. Iceland
4. Switzerland
5. Finland
6. The Netherlands
7. Canada
8. New Zealand
9. Australia
10. Sweden
This year the report gives special attention to the social foundations of happiness, including happiness at the workplace. "People tend to spend the majority of their lives working, so it is important to understand the role that employment and unemployment play in shaping happiness," said Professor Jan-Emmanuel De Neve of the University of Oxford.
The index also highlights that people in China are no happier than 25 years ago, much of Africa is struggling and happiness has fallen in America.
The 10 ‘saddest’ countries:
146. Yemen
147. South Sudan
148. Liberia
149. Guinea
150. Togo
151. Rwanda
152. Syria
153. Tanzania
154. Burundi
155. Central African Republic
