According to this year’s World Happiness Report, Finland overtakes Norway as the world’s happiest country.
The annual UN report measures “subjective well-being” – how happy people feel they are, and why.
According to the survey, Burundi was the least happy, taking over from the Central African Republic.
Burundi was thrown into crisis when President Pierre Nkurunziza’s bid for re-election to a third term in 2015 sparked protests by opposition supporters who said the move was unconstitutional.
World Happiness Report 2017: Norway Overtakes Denmark as Happiest Country
World Happiness Report 2016: Denmark Is World’s Happiest Country
World Happiness Report 2015: Switzerland Is World’s Happiest Country
Nordic countries regularly appear in the top five, while war-hit countries and a number in sub-Saharan Africa regularly appear in the bottom five.
The 2018 report by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network also features data about the happiness of immigrants in their host countries, with Finland also coming top as home to the happiest immigrants.
The World Happiness Report ranks some 156 countries by their happiness levels, and 117 by the happiness of their immigrants.
Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Switzerland are in the top five. The US came in at the 18th place.
Togo is seen to be this year’s biggest gainer, moving up 17 places, while the biggest loser is Venezuela, which dropped 20 places to 102nd.
