Every year, a Gallup World Poll collects data across a range of different categories to assess which are the world's happiest countries. The 2023 edition of The World Happiness Report reveals that there have been some changes in the top 10, even if the top spot hasn’t changed now for six years.
Happiness is, of course, a tricky metric to accurately measure. The World Happiness Report, though, does so by assigning a score to each nation polled using data gathered on life evaluation. Those polled are asked to fill out a Cantril ladder survey, giving scores of their lives on a scale of zero to 10 (zero being worst and 10 being best). Around 1,000 survey responses are used for each country.
To collate each country’s individual score, known as the Average Life Evaluation, the Happiness Report takes an average of the numbers given by those surveyed in each nation across the last three years.
Outside the top 10, Austria and Australia took 11th and 12th positions, followed by Canada, which went back up two places to 13th from last year’s lowest-ever ranking of 11th happiest.
Ireland was deemed the 14th happiest, followed by the United States (15th), Germany (16th), Belgium (17th), Czechia (18th), the United Kingdom (19th), and Lithuania (20th). But which country is the happiest?
10. New Zealand (Score 7.123)
The first of just two countries outside of Europe in this list, and the second year in a row that New Zealand has been ranked 10th.
9. Luxembourg (Score 7.228)
The country has dropped three places since last year and is the smallest on this list in terms of total area - just 998 square miles (2,586 km2).
8. Switzerland (Score 7.240)
This represents the biggest drop in happiness in the top ten following on from being ranked fourth in 2022.
7. Norway (Score 7.315)
Norway is the first of the Scandinavian nations to be mentioned in this list - all of them are here - and has moved up one place since last year.
6. Sweden (Score 7.395)
The Scandinavian nation has climbed one place after being ranked seventh in 2022.
5. Netherlands (Score 7.403)
2023 is the second year in a row that the nation has made it into the top five.
4. Israel (Score 7.473)
Just one of two nations outside of Europe in the list, Israel has climbed from ninth to fourth in the top ten since last year. Perhaps the most surprising country in this top ten, as Israel is plagued by political aggression and diplomatic issues.
3. Iceland (Score 7.530)
This is the second year in a row that Iceland has achieved third place. It's the smallest country in this list by population, with just 375,436 living on the island nation.
2. Denmark (Score 7.586)
This is the fourth year in a row that Denmark has claimed second spot on the list.
1. Finland (Score 7.804)
This is the sixth year in a row that Finland has been named the happiest country on Earth.