🌐 Global Happiness Rankings: What's New in '24? 🌐
World Happiness Ranking Places Estonia as 34th Happiest Nation
Share402 | Tweet | LinkedIn | Email
—
Estonia slips three spots, landing at the 34th position on the World Happiness Report 2024, with Finland proudly claiming the title of the happiest nation for a seventh consecutive year. In 2023, Estonia was ranked 31st, a slight improvement from its current position.
As for Finland's competitors, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, and Israel round out the top five. On the other end of the spectrum, some of the least happy countries named in the report are Afghanistan, Lebanon, Lesotho, and Sierra Leone. Lithuania ranks 19th, while Latvia comes in at 46th.
This annual publication, a project of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, uses data from the Gallup World Poll.
—
🔍 Age and Happiness: An Unexpected Twist
Interestingly, the happiness rankings vary significantly between younger and older populations. The World Happiness Index notes that in some countries, such as the United States and Canada, the rankings are over 50 places higher for the over-60s compared to those under 30. But, in other Central and Eastern European countries, the opposite is true, with rankings favoring the young by over 40 places.
—
Insights:
- Several studies and the World Happiness Index data reveal a decline in well-being among young people in North America and Western Europe, often attributed to financial uncertainty and feelings of loneliness.
- In high-income countries, well-being tends to increase with age, while in some countries like Israel and Poland, it decreases.
- The traditional U-shaped happiness curve (higher happiness in youth and old age, with a dip in midlife) has flattened for Gen Z globally, but it's a different story in developed economies such as Germany and Canada, where young people are less happy.
- Factors such as social connections, economic stability, and mental health significantly impact happiness levels across various age groups. Younger populations in some countries report lower social connections, potentially affecting their overall happiness.
- The people of Estonia have experienced a slight dip in their reported happiness, as Estonia has moved down three spots in the World Happiness Report 2024, with Finland maintaining its position as the happiest nation.
- The general news about the World Happiness Report 2024 also reveals a significant disparity in happiness levels between younger and older populations, with some countries, like the United States and Canada, showing a higher happiness ranking for the over-60s compared to those under 30.
- In the realm of politics and societal trends, the lives of the people in Estonia, along with other countries, are influenced by factors such as social connections, economic stability, and mental health, which can contribute to differences in happiness levels across various age groups.
