Explained | What is the World Happiness Report?

The World Happiness Report presents the people’s qualitative assessment of their lives through quantitative indicators.

The story so far: For the fifth consecutive year, Finland secured the top spot in the World Happiness Index.  

According to the World Happiness Report (2022), Finland’s score was “significantly ahead of other countries in the top ten”. Denmark secured the second spot, followed by Iceland, Switzerland, Netherlands and Luxemburg. Lebanon and Afghanistan ranked the lowest.

Produced by the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the country’s exploratory magazine, This is Finland stated that Finland, as well as several Nordic countries, have worked to create a society that possessed an “infrastructure of happiness”. It added, “Social systems in Finland and rest of the Nordics support democratic governance and human rights, not to mention education and healthcare that are free or charge only very nominal fees.”  

Separately, global benevolence, the report states, increased 25% in 2021 compared to its pre-pandemic level. This was led by helping out strangers, alongside strong growth in donations and volunteering. The top ten countries with the largest gains from 2008-12 to 2019-2021 were, in order, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Togo, Bahrain, Latvia, Benin, Guinea and Armenia. 

India ranked 136 among 146 countries in the Index.  

As per its website, The World Happiness Report, a publication of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), uses survey data to determine how people evaluate their lives in more than 150 countries. In simpler terms, the report presents a framework gauging people’s qualitative assessment of their lives, progress and well-being through quantitative indicators.  

The report aspires to prioritise discussions on happiness among governments and academics for assessment and establishment of social and economic objectives.