Finland is world's happiest country for eighth year in a row, UN report says

Record ID: 1984640

  • Title: Finland is world's happiest country for eighth year in a row, UN report says
  • Date: 20th March 2025
  • Summary: RIIHIMAKI, FINLAND (FILE - SEPTEMBER 6, 2024) (REUTERS) STUDENTS SITTING IN CLASSROOM, ENGLISH TEACHER TALKING STUDENT LOOKING IN BOOK VARIOUS OF CLASS IN PROGRESS HELSINKI, FINLAND (FILE - JULY 14-15, 2021) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) MAN JUMPING INTO BALTIC SEA AROUND MIDNIGHT PEOPLE AT BEACH MAN JUMPING INTO SEA NEAR ROVANIEMI, FINLAND (FILE - MAY 30, 2023) (REUTERS) (MUTE)
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: Finland Nordics United Nations World Happiness Report happiness
  • Location: VARIOUS LOCATIONS
  • City: VARIOUS LOCATIONS
  • Country: Finland
  • Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Europe
  • Reuters ID: LVA007011019032025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Finland once again tops the World Happiness Report which was released on Thursday (March 20) and measures social support, income, health, freedom, generosity and the absence of corruption to determine a country's national happiness.
    People in 143 countries and territories are asked to evaluate their life on a scale from zero to 10, with 10 representing their best possible life. Results from the past three years are averaged to create a ranking.
    Finland remained in the top spot for an eighth year - with an average score of 7.75 - followed by Denmark, Iceland and Sweden, while Afghanistan held the bottom spot with scores of 1.36.
    Professor of Economics at the University of Oxford and editor of the World Happiness Report, Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, said that among the factors that contributed to people's wellbeing was GDP per capita, wealth distribution, a welfare state that provides psychological stability and a healthy life expectancy.
    De Neve also said the report, which this year focused on the theme of “caring and sharing”, found that sharing meals with others was strongly linked with wellbeing across all global regions.
    De Neve said the report also showed a general increase in anxiety, worry and stress around the world.
    The annual World Happiness Report, launched in 2012 to support the United Nations' sustainable development goals, is based on data from U.S. market research company Gallup, analysed by a global team now led by the University of Oxford.
    (Production: Ilze Filks)
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