Amid war and disease, World Happiness Report shows bright spots

Amid war and disease, World Happiness Report shows bright spots

in this troubled world war and Pandemic, the World Happiness Report 2022 reports a beacon in dark times. The epidemic has not only brought pain and suffering, but also increased social support and goodwill. As we grapple with the scourge of disease and war, it is especially important to remember the universal desire for happiness and the ability of individuals to come together and support each other in times of great need.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the World Happiness Report, which uses global survey data to report on how people in more than 150 countries around the world value their lives. Of course, the interest in happiness is global. The World Happiness Report reaches over 9 million people in 2021. Since it was first published, the World Happiness Report has been based on two key ideas: Well-being, or life evaluations, can be measured through opinion polls, and we can identify key determinants of well-being, thereby explaining patterns of life evaluations across countries. This information, in turn, can help countries formulate policies aimed at happier societies.

Geoffrey Sachs explains the origin and purpose of the report this way: “Ten years ago, governments around the world expressed their desire to put happiness at the heart of the global development agenda, leading to the adoption of a UN General Assembly resolution. The World Happiness Report is derived from A global determination to find a path to greater global well-being. Now, in times of pandemics and wars, we need such efforts more than ever. The lesson of the World Happiness Report over the years is that social support, Mutual generosity and honesty in government are essential to happiness. World leaders should take heed. Politics should be as the great saints insisted long ago: for the well-being of the people, not the power of the rulers.”

Past reports have examined the link between people’s trust in government and institutions and happiness. The findings suggest that communities with high levels of trust are happier and more resilient in the face of various crises.

this year’s report It happened during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has upended life around the world. “COVID-19 is the biggest health crisis we’ve seen in over a century,” said John Helliwell. “Now that we have two years of evidence, we can not only assess the importance of kindness and trust, but also understand how they can contribute to well-being during a pandemic.”

“We found that during 2021, all three acts of kindness monitored in the Gallup World Poll increased significantly globally. Helping strangers, volunteering and giving saw strong growth around the world in 2021 , reaching levels that are nearly 25% higher than pre-pandemic prevalence rates. This kind of benevolence, which is especially helpful to strangers, provides strong evidence that people respond to helping those in need, in the process for The beneficiaries create more happiness, set an example for others, and create a better life for themselves.”

Finland is the happiest country in the world for the fifth year in a row. Its score this year is clearly ahead of other countries in the top 10. Denmark continues to be in second place, with Iceland rising from fourth last year to third this year. Switzerland ranks fourth, followed by the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Sweden, Norway, Israel and New Zealand rounded out the top ten. The next five are Austria, Australia, Ireland, Germany and Canada. This marks a significant drop in Canada, the fifth time it was ten years ago. Other countries in the top 20 include the US at No. 16 (up from No. 19 last year), the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic still at No. 17 and No. 18, followed by Belgium at No. 19 and Belgium at No. 20. France, which is the highest ranking to date.

1. Finland
2. Denmark
3. Iceland
4. Switzerland
5. Netherlands
6. Luxembourg
7. Sweden
8. Norway
9. Israel
10. new Zealand

Jan-Emmanuel De Neve points out, “At the bottom of the ranking, we find societies suffering from conflict and extreme poverty, and in particular we find that Afghans rate their quality of life as only 2.4 out of 10. A stark reminder The material and immaterial damage caused by war to its many victims, and the fundamental importance of peace and stability to human well-being.”

Since the publication of the World Happiness Report 10 years ago, there has been a growing interest in measuring happiness and life satisfaction. Data from the Gallup World Poll since 2005-2006 has largely contributed to this. Each year, the World Happiness Report aggregates data from the previous three years of surveys to increase sample size and improve accuracy.

The availability of 15 years of data covering more than 150 countries provides a unique stocktaking opportunity. The three countries with the largest increases were Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania. The biggest losses occurred in Lebanon, Venezuela and Afghanistan.

“The data considered in the World Happiness Report provides a snapshot of how people around the world assess their own happiness and some of the latest insights into the science of happiness,” said Lara Aknen. “This information is very powerful for understanding the human condition and how to help people, communities and nations strive to achieve happier lives.”

A breakdown by chapter of the World Happiness Report:

• Chapter 1: 10th Anniversary Review
• Chapter 2: Happiness, Kindness, and Trust During COVID-19 and Beyond
• Chapter 3: Trends in the concept of progress and well-being
• Chapter 4: Using Social Media Data to Capture Sentiment Before and During COVID-19
• Chapter 5: Exploring the Biological Basis of Happiness
• Chapter 6: Insights from the First Global Balance and Harmony Survey

The World Happiness Report is a publication of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, powered by Gallup World Poll data. This report was supported by the Ernesto Illy Foundation; Illy Coffee; The Davis Group; Wall’s, Unilever’s largest ice cream brand; The Blue Chip Foundation; The William, Jeff and Jennifer Gross Family Foundation; Happy Road Foundation and Regeneration social foundation.

The report was edited by Professor John F. Helliwell, University of British Columbia; Professor Richard Layard, Co-Director of the Wellbeing Programme, London School of Economics; Jeffrey Sachs, Professor, Columbia University, SDSN Chair and Director of the Earth Institute’s Centre for Sustainable Development; University of Oxford Prof. Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, Director of the Center for Welfare Studies; Prof. Lara B. Aknin, Simon Fraser University; and Prof. Shun Wang, Korea Development Institute.