Finland Tops World Happiness Ranking for 2nd Year, Bulgaria EU’s Worst Performer

Finland Tops World Happiness Ranking for 2nd Year, Bulgaria EU’s Worst Performer

EU countries occupy 11 of the top 20 spots in the UN-commissioned ranking.

Finland has been named the Happiest Country in the World for a second year in a row, while Bulgaria is the worst performer in the EU ranked 97th out of a 156 countries.

The 2019 World Happiness Report was commissioned by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. It was released on Wednesday, March 20, celebrated as World Happiness Day.

The annual ranking is based on how happy a country’s citizens perceive themselves to be, and takes into account circumstance such as life expectancy, welfare support, social freedoms, generosity as well as the absence of corruption in government and business.

The 2019 World Happyness Report concentrates on “happiness and the community” as well as the role of social media and technology, social norms, conflicts and government policies for people’s lives.

“The world is a rapidly changing place,” said John Helliwell, a professor at the University of British Columbia and co-editor of the report.

“How communities interact with each other whether in schools, workplaces, neighborhoods or on social media has profound effects on world happiness,”  he added.

Besides Finland, the top five of the world’s happiest countries include also Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and Netherlands, with 11 EU member states present in the top 20, including Germany and the UK. The other EU heavyweights, France and Italy, are ranked 24th and 36th respectively.

In addition to Bulgaria, the other worst EU performance in the 2019 happiness ranking are Greece (82nd), Croatia (75th), Portugal (66th), and Hungary (62nd).

The last five spots in the 2019 ranking, of the least happy countries in the world, are occupied by Rwanda, Tanzania, Afghanistan, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan.

Crisis-ridden Venezuela, ranked 108th, has seen the sharpest drop in happiness levels over the past decade, the 2019 report shows.

Full text of the 2019  World Happiness Report read here

(Banner image: World Happiness Report 2019)

newsletter
Join our mailing list and never miss an update !
EU to Regulate AI Strictly

EU to Regulate AI Strictly

The EU is getting rules for the use of artificial intelligence. After tough negotiations, negotiators from the European Parliament and EU states agreed on the basic principles of

Budget Deficit: White House Running Out of Funds to Support Ukraine

Budget Deficit: White House Running Out of Funds to Support Ukraine

The Russia-Ukraine conflict is getting more intense by the minute and the White House is having a budget deficit to support Ukraine financially. Budget Deficit Could Maim Kyiv According to a budget

Ransomware Group Responsible for Significant Attacks in 71 Countries Dismantled in International Operation

Ransomware Group Responsible for Significant Attacks in 71 Countries Dismantled in International Operation

Judicial and law enforcement authorities from seven different countries have joined forces in an action against a criminal network responsible for significant ransomware attacks across the world. These attacks are