In case you missed it, March 20 was the annual International Day of Happiness. This little-publicized event was established by the UN in 2006, but the first International Day of happiness was first celebrated in 2013.
Coinciding with this nebulous event that no one quite knows what to do with, is the annual World Happiness Report. Launched in 2012 by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, this study ranks the countries of the world according to the happiness of their citizens. The usual factors include sense of personal freedom, social support, GDP, and levels of corruption. This year, however, another inevitable layer added itself to their metric: the relationship between the sense of well-being and the coronavirus crisis.
So what country came out on top, you ask? (Drum roll, please...)
The same one as the previous three years in a row!
Oh! Don't know which country that is?
For the fourth year in a row, the country named the happiest in the row is FINLAND. Not only does this Nordic country win the prize for the most first places in a row, but that part of the world seems to have had a lock on happiness several years running -- at least as defined by the report. Iceland came in at number 2 this year, followed by Denmark.
A look into the culture of the Nordic countries reveals one factor in particular that seems to be a key ingredient to national happiness: trust. Trust of fellow man, yes, but also trust that the government will make right choices in caring for its people. (Some of you are already spitting out your coffee or having a severe allergic reaction.) We should keep in mind, however, that something these countries have in common is that they are much more homogeneous than larger countries such as the US. Studies show the unfortunate truth that the more diverse a culture, the more mutual distrust.
This year's report is of course colored by the pandemic, and it's interesting to see which countries rose in the rankings and which ones fell. There are some surprises, too. For example, last year the United States ranked 19th; this year, it climbed five spots to 14th, despite the strife of the 2020 elections and the heartache and disruption the pandemic has caused.
To see the top 20 countries in this year's report -- as well as a few of the world's most miserable countries -- just click here. And here to see the report itself.
Do you think there's something to this, or a bunch of malarky? As always, your comments are welcome.