World’s 10 happiest countries Posted on 26 March 2020 As the world scrambles to stay safe and stop the spread of COVID-19, this latest World Happiness Report reminds us that happiness can be contagious too. The recent report, which is the eighth to focus on global happiness, has a special focus on the environment and the role it plays in maintaining our moods and quality of life. The study found that the happiest people and societies are ones whose social needs, among others, are met. This could be things like having someone to count on, having a sense of freedom to make key life decisions, generosity, and trust. Image: Unsplash The five Nordic countries – Finland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Iceland – have all been in the top ten, and have occupied the top three spots in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Huge social contributors to this include the state of democracy and political rights, lack of corruption, trust between citizens, perceived safety, social cohesion, gender equality and equal distribution of incomes. The state of the environment and one’s proximity and access to natural spaces is also very important, and the study took into account closeness to rivers, lakes, canals and green spaces, air quality and noise levels, and weather conditions. Having parks nearby, trees in the streets and the ability to do activities such as walking, other sports and gardening was also quite important, especially in cities. Weather was found to have an effect on emotional state, with better moods in sunshine, clear skies, light winds, and warm temperatures. It also found that moods improved when outdoors compared to indoors, and were worse at work. Here are the top 10 happiest countries in the world: 1. Finland Finland has no shortage of beautiful natural spaces and wonders. It has thousands of lakes and islands, earning it the nickname the ‘Land of the Thousand Lakes’. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tervas Outdoor (@tervas.outdoor) on Mar 25, 2020 at 11:16pm PDT 2. Denmark Aarhus is one of Denmark’s happiest cities and has incredible architectural wonders and a beautiful coastline for beach walks. View this post on Instagram A post shared by VisitAarhus (@visitaarhus) on May 9, 2019 at 12:54am PDT 3. Switzerland Switzerland ranks high among the world’s ‘most liveable cities’ for its inhabitants’ quality of life. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Visit Switzerland🇨🇭 (@visitswitzerland) on Feb 6, 2020 at 10:46am PST 4. Iceland Iceland is renowned for generating energy from its many natural geothermal springs, which aren’t bad to indulge in either! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Karen | Blissful Honeymoons (@blissfultravelgal) on Mar 25, 2020 at 10:00pm PDT 5. Norway Happy tummies mean happier people, we reckon, and Norway not only has an abundance of salmon but one of its chocolate factories, Freia, inspired the magically yummy book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Norseman Roald Dahl. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Visit Norway (@visitnorway) on Mar 2, 2020 at 11:22am PST 6. Netherlands In the last decade, the bike-loving nation it’s consistently been ranked among the highest in the happiest countries in the world. View this post on Instagram A post shared by World Travel-Holic (@worldtravel_holic) on Mar 10, 2020 at 12:31pm PDT 7. Sweden Sweden’s innumerable wildlife attractions and natural landscapes are well worth travelling for and locals are in no shortage of places to escape. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Stockholm Travelers 🇸🇪 (@stockholm.travel) on Feb 12, 2020 at 7:50pm PST 8. New Zealand All Kiwis can enjoy easy access to the country’s beaches, and it’s calculated that no part of the country is more than an hour-and-a-half away from the sea (as the crow flies). View this post on Instagram A post shared by Carolin 🏔🌲 | Germany (@caro.goes.wild) on Mar 19, 2020 at 5:06am PDT 9. Austria They all seem to live happily ever after in Austria, where there’s no shortage of castles and palaces to marvel at – straight out of a fairytale! View this post on Instagram A post shared by visitaustria (@visitaustria) on Feb 23, 2020 at 6:38am PST 10. Luxembourg Despite the high cost of living, it may be worth it in a country with ‘champagne taste’ – Luxembourg famously world-renowned, award-winning wines, with bubbly created in a similar way to the French Champagne method. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ☣ Tom ☣ (@paddetrol) on Aug 21, 2019 at 4:57am PDT Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom are the runners up to the coveted top-10 spots, just missing the mark. Image: Unsplash Related Posts Cape Town’s sustainability: Leading the way in environmental initiatives 1 June 2023 As National Environmental Month commences in South Africa, Cape Town stands proudly at the forefront... read more Kapama to host Safari Guide of the Year Awards 2023 1 June 2023 Kapama Private Game Reserve near Hoedspruit will host this year’s Safari Guide of the Year... read more Blood Lions relaunches for public viewing on YouTube 1 June 2023 Award-winning documentary feature film Blood Lions has been relaunched on YouTube for public viewing, creating... read more PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE
Cape Town’s sustainability: Leading the way in environmental initiatives 1 June 2023 As National Environmental Month commences in South Africa, Cape Town stands proudly at the forefront... read more
Kapama to host Safari Guide of the Year Awards 2023 1 June 2023 Kapama Private Game Reserve near Hoedspruit will host this year’s Safari Guide of the Year... read more
Blood Lions relaunches for public viewing on YouTube 1 June 2023 Award-winning documentary feature film Blood Lions has been relaunched on YouTube for public viewing, creating... read more