The happiest countries in the world

Happiness is hard to measure – but a United Nations (UN) report attempts to do just that. In honour of World Happiness Day, it ranked countries based on people’s self reported happiness, GDP per capita, life expectancy, social support, trust, corruption, perceived freedom and generosity.

According to these criteria, the Fins are the happiest people in the world, narrowly outperforming their Nordic neighbors. Other very happy nations include the Netherlands, Switzerland, New Zealand, Canada and Austria. But what makes their citizens happier than the rest of the world?

1. Finland
Finland has one of the best education systems in the world, according to the Organisations for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Its school curriculum emphasises experiential learning and equal opportunities over quantitative testing, and the country has practically abolished homework from primary and middle schools. This means that from a young age, children can spend lots of time with their family and friends. These lasting relationships, coupled with high educational attainment due to good quality teaching, are major predictors of happiness.

Danes can spend lots of time outdoors, and time in nature has been linked to greater physical and mental wellbeing

2. Denmark
Denmark performs highly across the board of the happiness indicators identified by the UN, but excels in renewable energy production and environmental consciousness. In 2014, it generated a staggering 39.1% of its overall electricity from offshore and onshore windmills alone. It is expected that the “pioneer of wind power” will meet its 2020 goal of getting 50% of its energy from renewable sources, and completely eliminate non-renewable energy sources by 2050.

Additionally, Denmark features over 1000 islands with stunning coastlines. This means that the Danes can spend lots of time outdoors, and time in nature has been linked to greater physical and mental wellbeing.

3. Norway
Happiness levels in Norway are high as the country benefits from a thriving economy due to its richness in natural resources such as oil and gas. The income from these sources is reinvested into the national welfare system, which provides free healthcare for all Norwegian residents up to the age of 19, generous sick leave, and unemployment benefits. It is based on the philosophy of taking care of all citizens “from the cradle until the grave”.

Iceland is famed for its outstanding national beauty, with breathtaking landscapes that include awe-inspiring glaciers, beautiful geysers, massive volcanoes, gorgeous lagoons and stunning waterfalls

4. Iceland
Iceland ranks highly in terms of people’s perception of community support. This may be because many of the island’s 340,000 inhabitants supported each other socially and economically during the 2007 national financial crisis and subsequent periods of revitalization.

Moreover, Iceland is famed for its outstanding national beauty, with breathtaking landscapes that include awe-inspiring glaciers, beautiful geysers, massive volcanoes, gorgeous lagoons and stunning waterfalls.

5. Netherlands
The Netherlands consistently boasts high levels of happiness, due to a laid-back culture and an environment that prioritises a balance between work and leisure time: many people work only 35 hours a week and the average annual working time is 1419 hours. Also, the country has some of the best cycle networks in Europe, and hence riding a bike to school (or even ice-skating in winter when the ditches are frozen) is quite common. Lots of outdoor activities and family time are therefore major contributors to happiness.