World’s happiest countries for 2019 revealed
The World Happiness Report has just been released and the results are a little surprising.
Finland has been crowned the happiest country in the world for a second year in a row, with another four Nordic countries following in tow and grabbing a spot in the top 10.
The report released by United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, ranked 156 countries by their happiness levels based on life expectancy, social support and corruption.
The well-being of immigrants taken in by each country was also measured and added to the list.
Britain trailed behind the likes of Israel, Austria, Costa Rica, Australia, Luxemborg and New Zealand.
Australia ranked 11th, just missing a spot in the top 10.
The North African nation of South Sudan placed at the bottom of the happiness index, and America is proving to be less and less happy each year as the country falls from 14th place to 19th in just two years.
Russia ranked 68th, falling from 59th since last year while France took 24th place and China 93rd.
The least happy countries ranking in order include South Sudan, Central African Republic, Afghanistan, Tanzania, Rwanda, Yemen, Malawi, Syria, Botswana, Haiti and Zimbabwe.
Four different Nordic countries ranked in the highest ten places on the list.
Meik Wiking, the CEO of the Copenhagen-based Happiness Research Institute said the five Nordic countries who were ranked high in the index were clearly “doing something right in terms of creating good conditions for good lives.”
“'Briefly put, (Nordic countries) are good at converting wealth into well-being,” Wiking said.
The finding on the happiness of immigrants “shows the conditions that we live under matter greatly to our quality of life, that happiness is not only a matter of choice.”
Scroll through the gallery above to see the top ten happiest countries in the world.