The past year has been a difficult one for people across the globe is something of an understatement not only has the coven 19 pandemic resulted in the deaths of millions of people worldwide it’s also led to a massive shakeup in everyday life for many of us we know what you’re thinking what does it even mean to be a happy country during a global pandemic it is often said that there is a joy to be found even in the worst of times the world happiness record is released annually by the united nations it surveys the state of global happiness ranking 156 countries by how happy their citizens perceive themselves we present the list of the top 10 happiest countries in the world.
Vienna: Most Livable
Austria made the cut with high scores and life expectancy in GDP per capita with its capital Vienna retaining the title of the most livable city in the world in recent years it stands to reason that Austria would appear so high in the rankings this small heaven of just 8.7 million people is an ideal place to live during a crisis such as the one the world experienced over the past year famed for dreamy landscapes with rolling green hills and pristine lakes world-class architecture culture and pretzels who wouldn’t be happy here one main takeaway from the institute’s continuing research is that if you want to be happy the first step is to stop stressing about how happy you are and go for a bike ride biking is one of their favorite ways to get around Austria.
New Zealand: Coastal Beauty & Quality Living
New Zealand with a sprawling coastline of beautiful beaches jaw-dropping mountain peaks and adventurous activities we’re not shocked to see new Zealand on the list the only non-European nation in the ranking slipped one spot from last year entering the country recorded about 2 000 plus cases and just 26 deaths due to kova 19 a sign of the pandemic’s relatively minor social and economic disruption compared to other countries the quality of life in new Zealand is excellent compared to many other countries and the pace is relatively relaxed new Zealanders have a strong work ethic but also believe in having a good work-life balance even in the biggest cities you are never too far from a beach bike trail or national park kiwis take their happiness seriously and are quick to spring into action when something threatens it.
Luxembourg’s Rising Happiness
Luxembourg just five years ago the slander castles lakes and rolling hills occupied the 20th position in the happiness ranking Luxembourg made it to the top 10 in the 2020 edition of the report and it gained two additional spots since then with a population under 600 000 the small country offers high salaries and a strong social security system to help its citizens after retirement and while money cannot buy happiness it does not hurt that Luxembourg is among the wealthiest countries in the world where workers enjoy an average gross salary of roughly 5 000 euros per month Luxembourg’s high level of safety and security and its low rate of crime are considered to be linked to its overall wealth and its residence’s level of satisfaction with life in Luxembourg.
Sweden’s Happiness Recipe
Sweden combines incredible natural sites like glaciers and deep blue archipelagos with a cosmopolitan capital in Stockholm providing the best of both worlds on the report’s happiness index Sweden has consistently ranked high in the list thanks to the two key elements of happiness that proved particularly important through all the trials and tribulations of 2020 its strong social support networks and perceived honesty and accountability of its institutions that has not changed due to the pandemic admitting they flubbed the covet 19 response with a comparatively high quality of life strong infrastructure and the best health care system in education many people continue moving to Sweden.
Norway’s Natural Beauty
Norway there’s so much to love about this European country but what often strikes us most is its sole stirring landscape a drive through norway is a constant surprise with rugged landscapes and sophisticated cities of plenty it is ranked as one of the best countries to live in and has one of the lowest crime rates in the world norway is also rated high for its literacy rate educational levels and material wealth as we have learned social and institutional trust emerged as crucial factors in determining the well-being of citizens in 2020 and Norway has mostly been successful in keeping covet-19 mortality rates low and mitigating the economic impact of lockdowns.
Happy Dutch Teenagers
Netherlands canal lined cities fields of tulips and kindergic windmills are just some of the things that spring to mind when picturing the Netherlands famed for its cultural capital Amsterdam in the Netherlands happiness starts young a string of reports in the last decade including one by UNICEFs the Dutch statistics office and the world health organization have all consistently shown high satisfaction for life among Dutch teenagers according to the world economic forum the Netherlands comes top for the best place to live for expat families in 2018. it’s no surprise in a country with an excellent economy great childcare great healthcare a great education system perfect English and a life revolving around biking.
Resilient Iceland
Iceland there is little that phases Icelanders in a small country where active volcanoes can erupt at any moment they know how to pull together in troubling times the island which sits in the north Atlantic sea off Europe has seen a boom in tourism in recent years many nature loving travelers are flocking to the green hills and dramatic sites chosen by both the world economic forum as the best country in the world.
For gender equality and the institute for economics and peace as the most peaceful for more than 10 years in a row this republic of just a little over 360 000 is also a shining example of how to handle a pandemic to this day Iceland has recorded less than 30 deaths due to covet 19 with a strong sense of community even the largest city breikjevic has more of a seaside village feel with the downtown very walkable in the afternoon there was a pleasant mix of old and new architecture in the city.
Swiss Democracy & Happiness
Switzerland is a country where everything is voted on from how many vacation days workers should have to how many immigrants should be allowed into the country referendums down to the local level happen many times a year the swiss are some of the most politically astute to Europeans and highly engaged in terms of democratic participation having such a big say on how your country is run seems to correlate to your happiness levels directly Switzerland is famous for its natural beauty with the swest alps lake geneva the iger and the matterhorn this country is an expats dream from low crime rates to outstanding standards of education and health care to the excellent cheese and chocolate there is something for everyone to enjoy here.
Happiness in Denmark
Denmark won the top spot in 2012 2013 and 2016 but despite not taking out number one this year they’re still maintaining the happiness of their people their country’s score is high when it comes to work-life balance environment and healthcare Denmark also prides itself on having one of the smallest wealth gaps in the world and a society where people share both the burdens and the benefits equally the report shows is a happier society home to the world’s most bike-friendly city and a coastline that you could spend a lifetime exploring the country’s happiness certainly comes in part from a respect for the planet it’s built on from the iconic amusement park to volley to the beautiful coastline there’s no shortage of ways to keep yourself occupied in Denmark.
Finland: Happiness Leader
Finland for the fourth year in a row Finland is number one when it comes to happiness Finland looks like it has cracked the secret of being happy the fact that it is a high-income country whose education system is the envy of the world may have something to do with it Finland has not been immune from the pandemic yet it moved quickly and comprehensively it handled it better than most of its counterparts with the nation’s people reporting a strong satisfaction with life and confidence that they live in a place where people take care of one another to take their mind off their problems Finns also have a lot going for them this country of delighted people enjoy high living standards thriving cultural life and 3 million very relaxing saunas.