Where in the world are the happiest people?

The World Happiness Report measures the happiness, or subjective well-being, in 156 countries based on six factors: GDP per capita, social support, life expectancy, social freedom, generosity, and absence of corruption. However, oftentimes, we observe two-way linkages among the factors, creating a vicious circle. For example, happier people are likely to live longer, be more trusting, cooperative, and motivated to resolve problems and thrive.

The top 10 happiest countries

Finland is the world's happiest country, followed by Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland, Netherlands, Canada, New Zealand, Sweden, and Australia. What these countries have in common is evidence of trust, cooperation, and innovation among their citizens, who are very satisfied with their lives — so much that they can help others to improve their lives too and reach a similar level of life satisfaction.

When comparing the top ten happiest countries with the ten least happy countries (Burundi, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Tanzania, Yemen, Rwanda, Syria, Liberia, Haiti, Malawi), we see that the GDP per capita is 30 times higher in the first group.

Overall, the top ten ranking hasn't changed much since last year's, with only some expected swaps of places among the countries. For example, Finland shifted from the 5th place in 2017 to the top this year.

The top 10 countries for immigrant happiness

Finland is the world's happiest country for the foreign-born population too, followed by Denmark, Norway, Iceland, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, and Mexico. It comes as no surprise to see these countries on the top of the list when considering their attractiveness to international migrants, openness to migrants, and systems in place to help with sustainable social integration.

The most striking thing about the two rankings is their similarity — the immigrants are happy in almost the same countries where the local population is happy. However, this can be explained by the fact that the happiness of the migrants vastly depends on the overall quality of life in the host country, and not so much on the conditions of the country they come from. Also, it is very important to note that even though the income affects happiness, it's not the dominant factor — the countries with the happiest immigrants are not the richest ones; they are, however, the countries which have an efficient system of social and institutional supports.

Immigration and happiness

The foreign-born population in the ten happiest countries in the world is at 17.2%, which is double the number of the world's average foreign population. Australia's average migrant population is at 28%. So, are countries with bigger migrant populations happier places to live in for both migrants and non-migrants? Logically speaking, the answer is yes because migrants tend to move from less happy countries to happier ones. However, it is also true that non-immigrants are happier when they live in societies open to immigration.

Countries which are efficient at managing their migration flows, are bringing positive things into their societies, such as international human linkages, shared sympathies, exchange of knowledge, etc. On the other hand, societies which are lacking a solid immigration system, are nurturing mistrust and anti-immigrant views among their members.

Wherever you live, remember to share the happiness!