Costa Rica is ranked 12th in the world in the ranking of the happiest countries in the world, only surpassed by European nations, according to a report sponsored by the UN. In America it ranks first followed by Canada at number 15, the United States at number 23, Mexico at number 25 and Uruguay at number 26.
In 2009, Costa Rica held the title of the happiest country in the world, followed by the Dominican Republic, according to a report on happiness and life satisfaction from a British entity, which considered 143 countries that make up 99% of the world’s population. On that occasion, 85% of those consulted stated that they were “satisfactorily happy in this country,” the most prosperous and politically stable in Central America.
Finland again
This year, Finland consolidated its place as the happiest country in the world for the seventh consecutive time. The Nordic countries lead the first places, as Denmark, Iceland and Sweden follow after Finland. The last place on the list of 143 countries is occupied by Afghanistan, affected by a humanitarian catastrophe after the return to power of the Taliban in 2020.
For the first time in more than 10 years, the United States and Germany do not appear in the top 20 happiest countries, occupying positions 23 and 24. None of the world’s most populous countries appear in the top 20 countries.
“In the top ten, only the Netherlands and Australia have more than 15 million inhabitants. Among the top 20, only Canada and the United Kingdom have more than 30 million inhabitants,” according to the report. The sharpest declines in the happiness index since the period 2006-10 are those of Afghanistan, Lebanon and Jordan, when Serbia, Bulgaria and Latvia register strong advances.
UN Solutions Network
The World Happiness Report is a measure of happiness published by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network every year since 2012. It is based on people’s assessment of their happiness and economic and social data. The report takes into account six key factors: social support, income, health, freedom, generosity and the absence of corruption.
Closeness to nature and a good balance between work and private life are the key to Finnish satisfaction, said Jennifer De Paola, a researcher specialized in this topic at the University of Helsinki.
Finns perhaps have a “more accessible understanding of what a successful life is,” compared for example to the United States, where success is more related to financial gains, she added.
Trust in institutions, little corruption and free access to health care and education are also paramount. “Finnish society is permeated by a feeling of trust, freedom and a high level of autonomy,” De Paola said.
The annual report also revealed a stronger feeling of happiness among new generations than among older ones in most, but not all, regions.The rate has fallen dramatically since 2006-10 for those under 30 in North America, Australia and New Zealand and is now lower than for older people in those regions. However it progressed in all age classes in Eastern Europe in the same period. The difference increased between generations throughout the world, except in Europe, which is considered “worrying” by the authors of the report.
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