World Happiness Report 2020
The
World Happiness Report is an annual publication of the United Nations
Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
World Happiness Report is an annual publication of the United Nations
Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
March
20 was designated as the World Happiness Day by General assembly in 2012
20 was designated as the World Happiness Day by General assembly in 2012
It
contains articles, and rankings of national happiness based on respondent
ratings of their own lives, which the report also correlates with various life
factors. As of March 2019.
contains articles, and rankings of national happiness based on respondent
ratings of their own lives, which the report also correlates with various life
factors. As of March 2019.
In
July 2011, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution 65/309 Happiness: Towards
a Holistic Definition of Development inviting member countries to measure the
happiness of their people and to use the data to help guide public policy.
July 2011, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution 65/309 Happiness: Towards
a Holistic Definition of Development inviting member countries to measure the
happiness of their people and to use the data to help guide public policy.
On
April 2, 2012, this was followed by the first UN High Level Meeting called
Wellbeing and Happiness: Defining a New Economic Paradigm, which was chaired by
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Prime Minister Jigme Thinley of Bhutan, a
nation that adopted gross national happiness instead of gross domestic product
as their main development indicator.
April 2, 2012, this was followed by the first UN High Level Meeting called
Wellbeing and Happiness: Defining a New Economic Paradigm, which was chaired by
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Prime Minister Jigme Thinley of Bhutan, a
nation that adopted gross national happiness instead of gross domestic product
as their main development indicator.
The
first World Happiness Report was released on April 1, 2012 as a foundational
text for the UN High Level Meeting: Well-being and Happiness: Defining a New
Economic Paradigm, drawing international attention. The report outlined the
state of world happiness, causes of happiness and misery, and policy
implications highlighted by case studies.
first World Happiness Report was released on April 1, 2012 as a foundational
text for the UN High Level Meeting: Well-being and Happiness: Defining a New
Economic Paradigm, drawing international attention. The report outlined the
state of world happiness, causes of happiness and misery, and policy
implications highlighted by case studies.
In
2013, the second World Happiness Report was issued, and since then has been issued
on an annual basis with the exception of 2014. The report primarily uses data
from the Gallup World Poll.
2013, the second World Happiness Report was issued, and since then has been issued
on an annual basis with the exception of 2014. The report primarily uses data
from the Gallup World Poll.
Each annual report is available to the public
to download on the World Happiness Report website.
to download on the World Happiness Report website.
Method
of Ranking
of Ranking
The
rankings of national happiness are based on a Cantril ladder survey. Nationally
representative samples of respondents are asked to think of a ladder, with the
best possible life for them being a 10, and the worst possible life being a 0.
rankings of national happiness are based on a Cantril ladder survey. Nationally
representative samples of respondents are asked to think of a ladder, with the
best possible life for them being a 10, and the worst possible life being a 0.
They
are then asked to rate their own current lives on that 0 to 10 scale. The report
correlates the results with various life factors.
are then asked to rate their own current lives on that 0 to 10 scale. The report
correlates the results with various life factors.
In
the reports, experts in fields including economics, psychology, survey
analysis, and national statistics, describe how measurements of well-being can
be used effectively to assess the progress of nations, and other topics.
the reports, experts in fields including economics, psychology, survey
analysis, and national statistics, describe how measurements of well-being can
be used effectively to assess the progress of nations, and other topics.
Each
report is organized by chapters that delve deeper into issues relating to
happiness, including mental illness, the objective benefits of happiness, the
importance of ethics, policy implications, and links with the Organization for
Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) approach to measuring subjective
well-being and other international and national efforts.
report is organized by chapters that delve deeper into issues relating to
happiness, including mental illness, the objective benefits of happiness, the
importance of ethics, policy implications, and links with the Organization for
Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) approach to measuring subjective
well-being and other international and national efforts.
Topics
of Annual Report
of Annual Report
World
Happiness Reports were issued in 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016 (an update), 2017 and
2018. In addition to ranking countries happiness and well-being levels, each
report has contributing authors and most focus on a subject. The data used to
rank countries in each report is drawn from the Gallup World Poll, as well as
other sources such as the World Values Survey, in some of the reports.
Happiness Reports were issued in 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016 (an update), 2017 and
2018. In addition to ranking countries happiness and well-being levels, each
report has contributing authors and most focus on a subject. The data used to
rank countries in each report is drawn from the Gallup World Poll, as well as
other sources such as the World Values Survey, in some of the reports.
The
Gallup World Poll questionnaire measures 14 areas within its core questions:
Gallup World Poll questionnaire measures 14 areas within its core questions:
(1) Business & economic
(2)
Citizen engagement
(3)
Communications & technology
(4)
Diversity (social issues)
(5)
Education & families
(6)
Emotions (well-being)
(7)
Environment & energy
(8)
Food & shelter
(9)
Government and politics
(10)
Law & order (safety)
(11)
Health
(12)
Religion & ethics
(13)
Transportation
(14)
Work.
World Happiness Index
2020
2020
The World Happiness
Report ranks 156 countries by how happy their citizens perceive themselves to
be. The 2020 report features the happiness score averaged up to March 2019. As
per the 2020 Happiness Index, Finland is the happiest country in the world two
times in a row. Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland and Norway hold the next top
positions. The report was published on 20 March 2020 by UN.
Report ranks 156 countries by how happy their citizens perceive themselves to
be. The 2020 report features the happiness score averaged up to March 2019. As
per the 2020 Happiness Index, Finland is the happiest country in the world two
times in a row. Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland and Norway hold the next top
positions. The report was published on 20 March 2020 by UN.
Top 20 Counties or Region
according to World Happiness Index 2020.
according to World Happiness Index 2020.
|
Overall Rank
|
Country or Region
|
Score out of 10
|
|
1
|
Finland
|
7.809
|
|
2
|
Denmark
|
7.646
|
|
3
|
Switzerland
|
7.560
|
|
4
|
Iceland
|
7.504
|
|
5
|
Norway
|
7.488
|
|
6
|
Netherlands
|
7.449
|
|
7
|
Sweden
|
7.353
|
|
8
|
New Zealand
|
7.300
|
|
9
|
Austria
|
7.294
|
|
10
|
Luxembourg
|
7.238
|
|
11
|
Canada
|
7.232
|
|
12
|
Australia
|
7.223
|
|
13
|
United Kingdom
|
7.165
|
|
14
|
Israel
|
7.129
|
|
15
|
Costa Rica
|
7.121
|
|
16
|
Ireland
|
7.094
|
|
17
|
Germany
|
7.076
|
|
18
|
United States
|
6.940
|
|
19
|
Czech Republic
|
6.911
|
|
20
|
Belgium
|
6.864
|
Other important countries
ranking according to index:
ranking according to index:
|
Overall Rank
|
Country or Region
|
Score out of 10
|
|
21
|
UAE
|
6.791
|
|
62
|
Japan
|
5.871
|
|
66
|
Pakistan
|
5.693
|
|
73
|
Russia
|
5.546
|
|
82
|
Malaysia
|
5.384
|
|
84
|
Indonesia
|
5.286
|
|
87
|
Maldives
|
5.198
|
|
92
|
Nepal
|
5.137
|
|
94
|
China
|
5.124
|
|
130
|
Sri Lanka
|
4.327
|
|
133
|
Myanmar
|
4.308
|
|
144
|
India
|
3.573
|
|
152
|
South Sudan
|
2.817
|
|
153
|
Afghanistan
|
2.567
|
Performance India from
2017 to 2020:
2017 to 2020:
|
Year
|
Rank
|
Score
|
|
2020
|
144
|
3.573
|
|
2019
|
140
|
4.015
|
|
2018
|
133
|
4.190
|
|
2017
|
122
|
4.315
|
Philosophical
Concern
Concern
From
a philosophical perspective, critics argue that measuring the happiness of a
group of people is misleading because happiness is an individual matter. They
state the Dalai Lama, Gandhi, Tolstoy and several others, happiness is an
individual choice that is independent of the society, its structures and
enabling or dis-enabling conditions and not something to be measured using
variables that can only capture a nation’s well-being. This means therefore
that one cannot really talk of a happy or unhappy nation, but of happy or
unhappy individuals.
a philosophical perspective, critics argue that measuring the happiness of a
group of people is misleading because happiness is an individual matter. They
state the Dalai Lama, Gandhi, Tolstoy and several others, happiness is an
individual choice that is independent of the society, its structures and
enabling or dis-enabling conditions and not something to be measured using
variables that can only capture a nation’s well-being. This means therefore
that one cannot really talk of a happy or unhappy nation, but of happy or
unhappy individuals.