The Happiest Countries in the World.

Apr 8, 2021 7:28:33 AM by Eimhin Behan

This week the UN released their ninth World Happiness Report, and altough 2020 will be noted as a year unlike any other we've experienced before, we've ade it through, and one European country is happier than ever before.

The global survey accounts for various comparable factors, such as national economic success and personal wellbeing, regarded as the best measure of world happiness. The results in 2021 are particularly interesting due considering the effect that COVID-19 has had on the world and the rolling lockdowns which posed a major challenge for the teams gathering the data.

Once again, Finland sits at top of the list, retaining their top ranking for the fourth consecutive year. Fellow Nordic countries including Iceland and Denmark took second and third respectively. Those who partook in the survey expressed how their emotions had changed daily due to the efects of coronavirus, however their overall sentiment remained relatively constant. The happiestcountries placed great trust in their governments, shown through Finland's appointment of Sanna Marin as prime minister in 2019.

The 10 happiest countries in the world

Here’s the top 10 for 2021. As you can see, Europe dominates the list, making up all but one of the entries; Nordic countries are also well represented.

1. Finland

2. Iceland

3. Denmark

4. Switzerland

5. Netherlands

6. Sweden

7. Germany

8. Norway

9. New Zealand

10. Austria

Whilst there was minimal movement in comparison to last year, Germany climbed several places to finally brek into the upper reaches of the rankings, mainly due to their early response to coronavirus and how they dealt with it efficiently. They also performed excellently in terms of economic performance last year which would have helpd.

New Zealand stands out as the sole non-European nation to crack the upper reaches of the chart again performing well due to extremely low Covid-19 death rate and universally praised leadership from the prime minister.

Why is Finland the happiest country in the world?

Even though it is hard to define, happiness seems easier to come by in the Nordic countries. These nations consistently market themselves as the happiest places on earth, and these results (as well as other surveys) always rank the likes of Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway highly.

Travellers often place these countries on their own travel wish lists. Finland has a small population in comparison to its large landmass, which rewards anyone looking for open air and seclusion. There are some incredible residences to stay in throughout the country, from boutique hotels in the capital Helsinki to remote lodges in the northern territories in and around Lapland.

Finland is also known as the Land of a Thousand Lakes (although in reality there are many more than 1,000 lakes across the country), and close proximity to bodies of water where locals can fish, swim and relax is regularly cited by Finns as one of the reasons they are so happy. The Finnish are also among the biggest coffee drinkers in the world, and they have more saunas than cars. We’re not sure whether that is relevant to overall happiness, but it doesn’t seem to hurt.