Which Country Tops the List of the World's Happiest Nations?

Defining Happiness

The concept of happiness is subjective and varies greatly from one individual to another. While some people may associate happiness with financial stability and educational opportunities, others may view it from a more personal perspective, focusing on inner peace and fulfilling social interactions. Some people may also derive happiness from their work or tasks they perform.

Measuring Happiness Across the Globe

A graphic by Dorothy Neufeld from Visual Capitalist presents an analysis of the happiest countries among the world's major economies. This analysis is based on the Great Powers Index 2024 by Ray Dalio.

Methodology

Dalio's analysis of happiness across nations takes into account several factors, including the percentage of the population that reports being happy, reported life satisfaction on a scale of 1 to 10, the percentage of the population that reports experiencing daily enjoyment, the percentage of the population that reports having a good social support network, and the suicide rate per 100,000 people. The rankings were determined using z-scores, which measure how many standard deviations a data point is from the mean of a dataset.

The Happiest Countries Among Major World Economies

The analysis covers 24 major nations and reveals some surprising results. The United Kingdom, contrary to expectations, ranks as the happiest country overall, largely due to high happiness levels among the older generations. This is in stark contrast with the World Happiness Report, which ranks the UK 20th out of 143 nations in 2024. Other global indexes, including those from the United Nations, place the UK in a similar position. In Indonesia, 79% of citizens consider themselves happy, surpassing the global average of 73%. The United States, despite its economic power, ranks 10th, indicating that economic strength does not necessarily equate to happiness. Over the past two decades, self-reported happiness in the US has been on a downward trend, particularly among the younger generations. India ranks at the bottom of the list, possibly due to widespread institutional distrust, income inequality, and limited social mobility. South Korea, despite being the world's 10th largest economy, also ranks low, with 74% of its population expressing dissatisfaction with the country's social and political climate.

Health and Happiness

To gain a better understanding of this topic from a health perspective, you can refer to this graphic on the healthiest countries across leading world economies.

Bottom Line

The concept of happiness is multifaceted and subjective, making it a challenge to measure on a global scale. This analysis, however, provides some insight into how happiness is perceived and experienced across different nations. It's interesting to note that economic strength doesn't necessarily guarantee happiness, as evidenced by the rankings of countries like the US and South Korea. What are your thoughts on these findings? Do you agree with the rankings? Feel free to share this article with your friends and discuss. Don't forget to sign up for the Daily Briefing, available every day at 6pm.