The annual World Happiness Report, published on Wednesday and assessing global happiness levels, once again named Finland as the happiest country.
Neighboring countries Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden also maintained their places within the top ten.
The report suggests that a strong connection to nature and a well-balanced approach to work-life contribute significantly to their high happiness rankings.
However, it also pointed out a decline in happiness in other Western nations, especially among younger demographics, leading countries like the United States and Germany to drop out of the top twenty for the first time in over a decade.
Ukraine was ranked 105th.
Replacing the United States and Germany in the rankings were Costa Rica and Kuwait, landing in 12th and 13th places, respectively.
Significant improvements were noted in Serbia, Bulgaria, and Latvia, which all reported notable increases in their happiness scores.
At the bottom of the list is Afghanistan.
The World Happiness Report compiles its rankings using data from a global survey conducted across more than 140 countries. It evaluates nations based on several key factors, including GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and levels of corruption, using average life satisfaction scores from the past three years (2021-2023).
The release of the report aligns with the International Day of Happiness, celebrated on March 20.
Even during the pandemic, Finland maintained its lead in this ranking. At that time, its residents greatly valued the measures of mutual trust, which were instrumental in protecting lives and livelihoods.
