Top 10 Happiest Countries In The World and Why

Top 10 Happiest Countries In The World. Photo KnowInsiders

What makes a country happy?

Is it access to quality health care, a high life expectancy, financial stability, freedom, social connection, or a combination of everything? And how do you go about ranking a quality that's almost impossible to quantify?

With a global pandemic that never seems to end, making travel plans can feel downright impossible. But there’s no harm in dreaming up an itinerary for when such things feel safer, and thankfully, the travel experts at Next Vacay have taken inspiration from the 2022 World Happiness Report, data that determined which countries are generally happy places to live and visit… even when things continue to feel challenging.

Top 10 Happiest Countries In The World

(Ranked By Next Vacay)

Photo Next Vacay

1.Denmark

Denmark is known to be at the top of its game as far as life expectancy, and social support is concerned. Denmark also has one of the most bike-friendly cities in the world. Other factors also come into play to contribute to its happiness. A visit to Denmark is a must for anyone who has been feeling a little low. Maybe a trip to this happy country will cheer you up.

Photo classicjourneys

The fact that Danes regularly top the list of world’s happiest people could have something to do with our outlook and general sense of contentment. So what better way to get some happiness pointers than actually spending time with Danes! There are lots of ways to travel like a Dane in Denmark, and organisations to bring you together with ordinary Danes for home-cooked meals, tours of their local areas or Danish cookery lessons. You can also spend an evening eating with Danes at popular communal eating spots, like Absalons Kirke in hip Vesterbro.

2.Switzerland

Switzerland is a traveller’s paradise. The country has done exceptionally well at this year’s ranking, as it has moved up three spots. After all, the nation goes to vote on most decisions, even if it is to decide the number of vacation days for workers. A Swiss holiday is of course one of the most coveted holidays for any traveller, and now you know that you can be a lot happier by choosing to visit this paradise.

Photo CNBC

Ski all winter, hike all summer – it’s not hard to see why the Swiss are among the world’s happiest people. Certainly, living in the literal center of the European Alps helps – the opportunities for activity alone have made Switzerland the country with the lowest obesity rate in Europe. But so too does an incredibly high standard of living – the country has one of the lowest poverty levels in Europe, universities are inexpensive, and teachers’ salaries rank well above the country’s average salary mark.

Switzerland has also gained a reputation as a hub of innovation; the country that invented the wristwatch has claimed the number one spot on the Global Innovation Index for the past nine years. Finally, Switzerland is both the world’s largest producer and consumer of chocolate…The average Swiss citizen eats about 24 pounds annually.

3.Finland

In the Land of a Thousand Lakes, Finns are surrounded by the healing power of water. 75% of the nation is soothing forest—and thanks to Everymans’s Rights, everybody is free to roam nature. Sauna bliss is an everyday experience here, and natural wonders like the Northern Lights make a regular appearance.

Photo DW

Heli Jimenez, Senior Director at Business Finland said: “Finnish happiness isn’t skin deep and immediately visible – it’s deeply engrained in our being. Sustainable happiness is our superpower, and it means we tend to take life as it comes – a trait that is helping us through these challenging times. We appreciate the small things in our daily lives, such as sitting quietly on a bench and staring at the empty lake after a relaxing sauna session or taking a morning dip in the sea before starting the working day.”

Top 5 Happiest Countries in the World of 2021 World Happiness Report 2021: Check out Top 5 Happiest Countries in the World in 2021 - 1. Finland 2. Iceland 3. Denmark 4. Switzerland 5. ...

4.Iceland

Photo Troab

A country that is high on well-being, Iceland is certainly one of the finest countries to visit, not to mention, one of the happiest. The nation is known to attract numerous visitors every year, and it has successfully managed to remain one of the more advanced nations in the world.

To top it all, Icelanders feel that they can always rely on a fellow Icelander when things get rough; isn't that amazing?

5.Sweden

Photo 123RF

A high GDP per capita, which it shares with many of its Nordic neighbors, is not the sole reason, either: An emphasis on social equality that is built into the education system starting in kindergarten, 16 months of paid family leave that can be split between a couple after a new child is welcomed into a family, and free day care also make Sweden the best country for women, according to a separate study. Basically, an emphasis on work-life balance leads to a happier populace.

READ MORE: TOP 15 Most Popular Holidays in Sweden

6.Austria

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Austria made the cut this year with high scores in life expectancy and GDP per capita. One main takeaway from the institute's continuing research is that if you want to be happy, the first step is to stop stressing about how happy you are and go for a bike ride.

Biking is one of our favorite ways to get around Austria (well, at least its wine country), so we suspect riding might help out with happiness rankings.

7.Netherlands

Photo Netherlands News Live

According to a UNICEF report from back in 2013. Dutch children are the happiest in the world. Doesn’t that say something about the country? The nation has remained high on the happiness ranking since 2005, which is a big deal. It is hard enough to maintain such rankings from one year to the next, but this sort of consistency is just exceptional.

So, why don't you take your children on a vacation to this beautiful country.

READ MORE: Top 10 Most Beautiful Castles in Netherlands

8.New Zealand

Photo classicjourneys

The Land of the Long White Cloud is the land of a lot of happiness. The nature is spectacular, down to earth locals are mighty proud of their heritage, and the sheep love it too (they far outnumber humans). No wonder film-makers flock here: New Zealand served as the setting for the classic of fantasy cinema, 1988’s Willow, a few decades before that OTHER big fantasy movie series hit the screens.

Lord Of The Rings’ Peter Jackson famously said ‘New Zealand is not a small country but a large village,’ which sums it up splendidly.

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9.Norway

Photo from economy

Scandinavian countries have dominated the list of World’s Happiest Countries, routinely taking the top spots year after year. This might seem unusual, since…well, the winters in Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland are very long, and very dark. But it makes sense.

Adverse conditions often build strong communities, and the common thread of taking care of neighbors and fellow citizens runs through the Scandinavian democracies. Also, it helps that Norway in the summertime is beautiful and inviting; the countless fjords are a major draw, and the temperate weather makes visiting them easy and comfortable. And if the fjords aren’t enough for you, there are about 50,000 islands off the coast of Norway.

10.Luxemberg

Photo lolwot

With a population under 600,000, the small country offers high salaries and a strong social security system to help its citizens after retirement. But before you jump to the conclusion that money is actually buying happiness in Luxembourg, the country has many other perks that have nothing to do with cash, including a great healthcare system and excellent work-life balance (probably due to the mandatory five weeks of vacation time).

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