For the sixth time in a row, Finland ranked as the happiest country in the world according to the annual index, compiled under UN auspices.
This index revealed that goodness is on a significant rise in Ukraine but is faltering in Russia.
The Global Happiness Report is a measure of happiness that has been published by the United Nations’ Network of Sustainable Development Solutions every year since 2012.
A stronger sense of shared goal in Ukraine
n Ukraine, despite “widespread suffering and destruction” following the Russian invasion in 2022, there is “a stronger sense of shared goal, goodness, and trust in the Ukrainian leadership” than after the 2014 annexation of Crimea by Russia, said Professor Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, one of the study’s authors.
In 2022, “goodness was greatly strengthened in Ukraine, but declined in Russia,” according to him, referring to actions such as helping a stranger or making a donation.
While Ukraine’s classification was shaped from 98 to 92 compared to last year’s report – completed before the Russian invasion – its overall score went from 5,084 to 5,071 on a scale of zero to 10.
What place does Greece hold?
While generally the same countries top the list a year after the other, the authors of the report cite the Baltic countries as recording rapid progress towards Western European levels.
The only new country among the 20 happiest is Lithuania climbed to 20th place — leaving France to 21st — while Estonia’s ranking fell from 66th in 2017 to 31st in 2023. Greece remained at 58th place.
Despite the crises of Ukraine and Covid, “different forms of daily goodness, such as offering aid to a foreigner, donating to a humanitarian organization, and volunteering, are above pre-pandemic levels” internationally for the second year in a row, said Professor Lara Aknin, one of the report’s authors.
Afghanistan at the last place
War-scarred Afghanistan, which has been at the bottom of its annual index since 2020, has witnessed a deepening of its humanitarian crisis since the return to power of the Taliban in 2021 after the withdrawal of US-led troops.
The global happiness report, first released in 2012, is based on how citizens themselves assess their happiness, as well as economic and social data. The report takes into consideration six key factors: social support, income, health, freedom, generosity and the lack of corruption. It gives a satisfaction rating based on an average of data over a three-year period.
This year, northern Europe again dominated the top positions — with Denmark in second place after Finland, followed by Iceland. Fourth place is occupied by Israel that climbed five places compared to last year.
With information from amna.gr
