Finland continues to top the Global Happiness Index for the seventh consecutive year, while Kuwait ranked first among Arab countries and 13th globally. The report, sponsored by the United Nations, includes 143 countries this year, classified according to several factors, including per capita GDP, expected healthy life span, and residents' opinions. Researchers rely on surveys that ask participants to respond on a scale from 1 to 10 about their perceived social support in case of issues, their freedom to make personal life decisions, their feelings concerning the prevalence of corruption in their societies, and their level of generosity.
For the first time, this year's report included different rankings based on age categories. For example, Lithuania was noted as the happiest country in the world for those under 30, while Denmark topped the list for individuals over 60.
Overall, Finland ranked first, followed by Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Israel, the Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, and Switzerland. Afghanistan was at the bottom of the list, preceded by Lebanon, Lesotho, and Sierra Leone.
On the Arab level, Kuwait was ranked 13th globally, followed by the UAE at 22nd, Saudi Arabia at 28th, Bahrain at 62nd, Libya at 66th, Algeria at 85th, Iraq at 92nd, and Palestine at 103rd. Morocco ranked 107th, Tunisia 115th, Jordan 125th, Egypt 127th, Yemen 133rd, and Lebanon 142nd, according to the rankings provided.
The Global Happiness Report was first launched in 2012 and is an annual survey conducted by the “Sustainable Development Solutions Network” under the United Nations.
