The 2022 World Happiness Report has revealed that Switzerland has fallen slightly and is now the fourth happiest country in the world. The alpine nation was praised for its quality of life and work-life balance, beating the likes of Sweden, New Zealand and Germany.
The 10th annual edition of the World Happiness Report ranks 146 counties across the world by how happy their citizens perceive themselves to be. This is compiled by using data from the Gallup World Poll and other data sources, taking into account areas like social security, life expectancy, income per capita, civic freedoms and perceptions of corruption.
This year, the theme of the ranking was “happiness, benevolence, and trust during COVID-19 and beyond.” Analysts focused on the long-term impacts of the COVID pandemic on each country, and how restrictions and the disease itself affected overall wellbeing and mental health.
In the Gallup World Poll, all countries involved in the ranking had their residents evaluate their own happiness on a scale of one to 10 over three years. These scores were then combined into an overall average score and compared to Dystopia - an imaginary country home to the least-happy people in the world.
For the fifth year in a row, Finland took the top spot with a score that far outmatched the rest of the top 10. Countries in the top 10 remained relatively unchanged, with Switzerland moving from third to fourth and the Netherlands retaining its position in the ranking. One notable exception was Germany, which saw its happiness ranking fall from seventh to fourteenth.
After achieving third in 2021, Switzerland has fallen slightly to the fourth-place position. This year, the alpine nation achieved a score of 7,512 out of 10.
Switzerland earnt the most praise for how its residents and citizens had achieved “balance in life.” Switzerland’s people were found to be the third most "balanced country" in the world, after Finland and Malta; perhaps testament to the competitive salaries and working hours in Switzerland, and the many lakes, rivers and mountains to visit once the work is done.
According to the 2022 report, the 10 happiest countries in the world are:
The least happy countries in the world in 2022 were found to be Zimbabwe, Lebanon, and Afghanistan. Click here to read the full report.