Although there have been some changes in the top 5 and top 10, with Iceland rising two places from fourth to second on the list and Norway dropping from fifth to eighth place, the rankings were strikingly similar to the previous year for the most part.

Finland, a Northern European nation, has maintained its top position for the fourth consecutive time in the World Happiness Report 2021, which has been collated slightly due to the Covid-19 pandemic that continues to rage on a little more than a year.

The annual report, issued by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, measures subjective well-being by relying on three main indicators: life evaluations, positive emotions, and negative emotions.

An interesting fact in the report is that the top five happiest countries in the world are mostly European nations. New Zealand is the only country outside Europe to be included in the top ten, claiming the ninth position.

For the fourth year running, Finland has come out on top in the annual list powered by data from the Gallup World Poll. Iceland, Denmark, Switzerland, and the Netherlands followed in second, third, fourth and fifth rank respectively.

*Check out and Read Full Text of The Happiness Report in 2021 Click Here!

Top 5 happiest countries in the World 2021

1. Finland Finland - Top 5 happiest countries

Researchers say it’s no surprise that Finland has retained the top position once again, as the Nordic country has always ranked highly when it comes to mutual trust. Trust is recognized as one of the major factors that helped to protect people during the pandemic, as well as confidence in governments.

For instance, Brazil’s death rate was significantly higher than Singapore’s, a fact the report put partially down to the difference in public trust in the governments of each country.

2. Iceland - Top 5 happiest countries

3. Denmark - Top 5 happiest countries

Last year, Denmark was the second happiest country in the world.

4. Switzerland - Top 5 happiest countries

5. Netherlands - Top 5 happiest countries

Top 20 Happiest Countries In The World In 2021

1. Finland

2. Iceland

3. Denmark

4. Switzerland

5. Netherlands

6. Sweden

7. Germany

8. Norway

9. New Zealand

10. Austria

11. Israel

12. Australia

13. Ireland

14. United States

15. Canada

16. Czech Republic

17. Belgium

18. United Kingdom

19. China

20. France

Of the 149 countries featured on the report, Afghanistan was ranked the most unhappy once again, followed by Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Botswana.

The report also found that the decline in mental health was immediate in many countries, including the UK, where the number of mental health problems reported was 47% higher in May 2020 than predicted before Covid-19. According to the data collected, those unable to work due to furlough or redundancy who said they were lonely at the start of the pandemic became 43% less happy than those who did not feel lonely to begin with.

This could be, perhaps, one of the main reasons why India didn’t get a mention in this list. Mental health related issues are still considered a taboo in the country. WHO estimated that about 7.5 per cent Indians suffer from some mental disorder. According to the numbers, 56 million Indians suffer from depression and another 38 million Indians suffer from anxiety disorders. The COVID-19 imposed lockdown has only added to the woes.

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