The 10 Happiest Countries on Earth
Amy Capetta, Yahoo! Health, April 24, 2015
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The results of this year’s World Happiness Report are in–and Switzerland scored the top spot in the ranking. The report is based on data from 158 countries with regard to six factors: GDP per capita, absence of corruption, generosity, social support, freedom, and healthy life expectancy. The report was released by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
The 10 happiest countries were found mostly in Europe:
- Switzerland
- Iceland
- Denmark
- Norway
- Canada
- Finland
- The Netherlands
- Sweden
- New Zealand
- Australia
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Similar to the previous reports, the happiness factor was judged on a scale from 0 to 10, where the average global number totaled 5.1. Switzerland, for instance, had a number of 7.587, while the U.S.–which came in at No. 15 in the ranking–had a 7.119. (The U.S. ranked 11th in 2012.)
Out of all the countries included in the ranking, Togo came in last. The bottom 10 countries in the ranking are:
- Togo (Ranked last)
- Burundi
- Syria
- Benin
- Rwanda
- Afghanistan
- Burkina Faso
- Ivory Coast
- Guinea
- Chad
The authors of the report noted that a few common sources of true contentment among the happiest countries were the ability to trust those in your neighborhood, as well as those in a government position. Another marker: being surrounded by people who show empathy for others (which can be shown by random acts of kindness, such as volunteering in a local charity or returning a lost wallet).
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