World Happiness Report 2024

22.03.2024

World Happiness Report 2024

 Why in the news?

Finland has once again claimed the title of the world's happiest country for the seventh consecutive year, according to the annual UN-sponsored World Happiness Report.

About World Happiness Report:

• The annual World Happiness Report is a partnership of Gallup, the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), and the World Happiness Report's Editorial Board.
• It is based on global survey data from people based on people's own assessments of their happiness, as well as economic and social data. It considers six key factors: social support, income, health, freedom, generosity, and the absence of corruption. It assigns a happiness score based on an average of data over a three-year period.

Highlights of World Happiness Report 2024:

• The Nordic nations continue to dominate the top rankings. Finland topped the list for the seventh year in a row.
• The other top 10 countries are Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Israel, Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Australia.
• Out of the 143 countries surveyed, Afghanistan remained at the bottom of the list.
• For the first time in over a decade, the United States and Germany have slipped out of the top 20 happiest nations, landing at 23rd and 24th place, respectively.
• The report underscores a change wherein the happiest countries no longer include any of the world's most populous nations. Only the Netherlands and Australia, both with populations exceeding 15 million, are present in the top 10.

What is the situation in India?

• India is ranked 126th on the list, the same as last year, in the happiness index.
• Older age is associated with higher life satisfaction in India. The report said those older Indian men, particularly those in higher age brackets, presently married and those with an education tend to report greater life satisfaction compared to their counterparts. However, older women in India report lower life satisfaction than older men.
• Satisfaction with living arrangements, perceived discrimination, and self-rated health emerged as the top three predictors of life satisfaction.

                                                   Source: The Times of India