World Happiness Rankings
Which country’s inhabitants enjoy the longest and happiest lives?
The purpose of these rankings is to determine which countries are enjoying the long and happy lives which so many of us are striving for.
Unlike other similar studies, these rankings are not based on any economic or environmental data. The only sets of data used in the calculations are a country’s ranking in terms of life expectancy and the life satisfaction rankings, which are based on international surveys. The results of which are available from The New Economics Foundation. These two sets of data are given equal weighting in calculation of the rankings.
In light of data regarding suicide rates from the World Health Organisation there are some notable surprises in the top 10. It is somewhat surprising that Switzerland top the rankings despite having a suicide rate which is almost double the worldwide average. Other high-ranking countries with even higher suicide rates include Luxembourg and Finland.
Ideally, suicide rates would have been a factor in calculation of the rankings. However, there are a significant number of countries for which this data is unavailable.
Although Japan and Hong Kong have the two highest life expectancies in the world their low rankings are a reflection of how poorly they fared in the life satisfaction surveys.
Bottom of the pile was Zimbabwe due to their unfortunate combination a life expectancy of just 36.9 and the joint second lowest life satisfaction rating in the world.
- Switzerland
- Iceland
- Sweden
- Canada
- Austria
- Finland
- Luxembourg
- Norway
- New Zealand
- Australia
- Denmark
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Ireland
- Costa Rica
- Belgium
- United Arab Emirates
- Brunei Darussalam
- United States of America
- Germany
- Spain
- Italy
- Hong Kong
- Dominica
- United Kingdom
- Singapore
- Cyprus
- Israel
- Kuwait
- Barbados
- Antigua and Barbuda
- France
- Malaysia
- Venezuela
- Oman
- Panama
- Seychelles
- Bahrain
- Mexico
- Japan
- Slovenia
- Colombia
- Taiwan
- Chile
- Saudi Arabia
- Argentina
- Bahamas
- Qatar
- Greece
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Cuba
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Czech Republic
- Vanuatu
- Belize
- Uruguay
- Portugal
- Suriname
- Jamaica
- Tonga
- Korea
- Bhutan
- Tunisia
- Honduras
- Samoa (Western)
- Mauritius
- Croatia
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Sri Lanka
- El Salvador
- Poland
- Guatemala
- Dominican Republic
- Paraguay
- China
- Guyana
- Ecuador
- Libya
- Fiji
- Thailand
- Philippines
- Brazil
- Hungary
- Kyrgyzstan
- Indonesia
- Maldives
- Slovakia
- Mongolia
- Solomon Islands
- Vietnam
- Nicaragua
- São Tomé and Principe
- Lebanon
- Iran
- Grenada
- Palestine
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Uzbekistan
- Cape Verde
- Syria
- Macedonia
- Timor-Leste
- Peru
- Morocco
- Tajikistan
- Romania
- Albania
- Algeria
- Jordan
- Estonia
- Comoros
- Yemen
- Lithuania
- Papua New Guinea
- Ghana
- Kazakhstan
- Namibia
- Latvia
- Gabon
- Bangladesh
- Turkey
- Bolivia
- Bulgaria
- Madagascar
- Gambia
- India
- Cambodia
- Egypt
- Senegal
- Nepal
- Armenia
- Congo
- Azerbaijan
- South Africa
- Georgia
- Burma
- Laos
- Benin
- Kenya
- Haiti
- Belarus
- Tanzania
- Mauritania
- Russia
- Moldova
- Nigeria
- Guinea-Bissau
- Mali
- Guinea
- Togo
- Ukraine
- Pakistan
- Mozambique
- Djibouti
- Cameroon
- Botswana
- Turkmenistan
- Equatorial Guinea
- Ethiopia
- Burkina Faso
- Eritrea
- Sudan
- Uganda
- Sierra Leone
- Central African Republic
- Zambia
- Cote d’Ivoire
- Angola
- Niger
- Chad
- Rwanda
- Malawi
- Lesotho
- Burundi
- Congo, Dem. Rep. of the
- Swaziland
- Zimbabwe
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User Comments
Milena
On October 19, 2006 at 7:57 am
Hey, this is very interesting. Funny how the top countries are bit on the cold side.
Sev
On October 26, 2006 at 10:28 am
…on second thought: We have been looking at condos in Costa Rica.
Bishop^
On October 28, 2006 at 7:59 am
Interestingly, if you look just at “life satisfaction” the Brazilians come out on top. Unfortunately life expectancy there is not that high because of the poverty and crime. But despite that, the people are the happiest!
LinsoN ChAn - Linsonchan - 09198774095
On November 5, 2006 at 1:02 am
funny…. i thought philippines could be 1 of the worst country …
Paddie
On November 5, 2006 at 2:02 am
Calling to say Hi & jambo to you kenyan Friends iv yet to meet in NBO or MSA,,can you get in touch before i arrive in NBO soon,,replies welcome from M/F
Dfre
On November 5, 2006 at 2:33 am
Typical Kenya mambo just cant find a nice forum to send saalam. Anyway i think Kenya should be fourth it has some ery difficutlt issues but guys are happy!!!!
Peter Archbold
On July 28, 2007 at 9:41 am
The data was taken from the New Economics Foundation.
TD
On May 22, 2008 at 5:02 pm
how come there are 2 Swaziland one on the top and one on the bottom !!
ivee-filipina
On September 30, 2008 at 3:18 am
of course not, the philippines is a great country; people here are happy and God-centered!
Someone
On December 16, 2008 at 3:34 pm
HA HA HA!!!
how come there are 2 Swaziland one on the top and one on the bottom !!
one of them is Switzerland and another one is Swaziland.!!
a little mistake by TD
ticofeliz
On July 3, 2009 at 3:25 pm
Tan linda es mi Costa Rica, no por nada la llaman la Suiza Centroamericana.
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