Global Happiness 2024: Chart-Toppers Revealed

In the latest rendition of the UN-sponsored World Happiness Report 2024, Helsinki, nestled in the serene landscapes of Finland, maintains its illustrious status as the paramount emblem of contentment for the seventh consecutive year.

Unwaveringly, the quintessential Nordic nations, renowned for their tranquil existence, such as Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden, persist in their eminent positions within the top echelons of contented living. Conversely, there has been a noticeable decline noted in the United States and Western Europe.

In stark juxtaposition to the Nordic realms, the elation amongst the youthful demographic, aged between 15 to 24 years, has experienced a precipitous descent in North America – registering a surge in the number of disheartened youngsters compared to their elder counterparts.

The report unveils a marked surge in contentment across all age brackets in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as the Far East. Conversely, South Asia, the Middle East, and North African territories have witnessed a pronounced plummet in their happiness indices across all age demographics.

For the inaugural instance since its inception a decade ago, both the United States and Germany, erstwhile absentees from the top 20 roster of joyous nations, have witnessed a regression in their standings. This year, these two nations have descended to 23rd and 24th positions respectively.

Afghanistan, mired in a profound humanitarian crisis since the ascension of the Taliban in 2021, languishes at the nadir among the 143 nations surveyed.

Costa Rica and Kuwait emerge as fresh entrants into the coveted top 20 list. A sweeping metamorphosis in overall happiness levels across numerous nations since 2006-10 has been observed, with Afghanistan, Lebanon, and Syria showcasing the most deleterious downward trends, whilst Eastern European nations exhibit substantial upswings.

Notably, the roster of top-ranking nations eschews the inclusion of the world’s most populous countries. Notwithstanding their vast populace, Australia and the Netherlands fail to secure a berth on this illustrious list. The rankings are predicated on individuals’ subjective evaluations of their own lives, coupled with pivotal metrics such as GDP per capita, social cohesion, life expectancy, autonomy, benevolence, and integrity.

The report further underscores the prevalence of happiness disparities across every region except Europe, with a discernible uptick in negative sentiments. The top 10 happiest nations in the world comprise Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Israel, Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Australia.

The query regarding India’s placement in the World Happiness Index 2024 reveals that it retains its position at 126th, mirroring the preceding year’s ranking. The report underscores that advanced age correlates with augmented life satisfaction within the Indian context. Senior male citizens in India exhibit greater contentment with their lives compared to their female counterparts; nevertheless, older women report superior life satisfaction relative to their male peers. An array of factors encompassing social bonds, community involvement, living arrangements, educational attainment, income levels, as well as caste and religious affiliations, exert a discernible influence on life satisfaction among Indians.