The report was released on March 20, which the United Nations has designated asthe International Day of Happiness since 2013.
Country rankings this year are based on life evaluations in 2020, 2021, and2022, so all of the observations are drawn from years of high infection anddeaths from COVID-19.
Finland extends its run as the happiest country in the world for the sixthconsecutive year this time, followed by frequent high performers like Denmark,Iceland, Israel, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Luxemburg, and NewZealand in the top 10.
At the other end of the table, Afghanistan ranks the lowest in the world,followed by Lebanon, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic ofCongo.
Singapore is the happiest Southeast Asian nation in this edition’s ranking,earning 25th place. Malaysia and Thailand are above Vietnam in this ranking,with 55th and 60th positions, respectively.
The factors that affect a country’s ranking include GDP per capita (size andperformance of the economy), social support (having someone to count on intimes of hardship), healthy life expectancy (which, other than life expectancy,also include physical and mental health), freedom to make life choices (humanrights), generosity (a marker for positive community engagement), andperception of corruption.
The World Happiness Report is a Sustainable Development Solutions Networkpublication, powered by the Gallup World Poll data./.
VNA