For the sixth consecutive year, Finland has been ranked as the world’s happiest country, while Turkey is placed 98th out of 143 countries in the World Happiness Report rankings. In contrast to the global trend, in Turkey, younger people are less happy than the elderly.
Turkey is placed 98th out of 143 countries in the World Happiness Report rankings. In contrast to the global trend, in Turkey, younger people are less happy than the elderly.
Among people under 30, Turkey ranks 101st, while in the category of those aged 60 and above, it ranks 92nd.
The happiness ranking is based on individuals’ self-evaluations of their life satisfaction as well as criteria such as per capita income, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, and corruption.
Finland ranked as the happiest country for the 7th consecutive year
According to the report, Finland has once again been named the ‘happiest country’ for the seventh year in a row.
Finland is distinguished by its robust welfare society, trust in government authorities, low levels of corruption, and free healthcare and education systems. Jennifer De Paola, a happiness researcher at the University of Helsinki, highlights that the Finns’ strong connection with nature and a healthy work-life balance significantly contribute to their overall life satisfaction.
While Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden secured their places in the top 10, the United States and Germany failed to make it into the top 20 happiest countries for the first time.
‘Not happy’ trend for large-population countries
The report indicates that none of the world’s most populous countries are currently among the happiest nations. Among the top 10 countries, only the Netherlands and Australia have populations exceeding 15 million. Within the top 20, only Canada and the UK have populations over 30 million.
From 2006 to 2010, the steepest declines in happiness were recorded in Afghanistan, Lebanon, and Jordan, whereas the most significant increases were observed in Eastern European countries such as Serbia, Bulgaria, and Latvia.
After the Taliban took control in 2020, Afghanistan ranked at the bottom among 143 countries.