The 2024 World Happiness Report is here, and once again, the Dutch have smiled their way into the top 10. The Nordic countries remain on top, and Finland continues its 7-year streak at number 1.
The United Nations-sponsored report ranks the happiest countries in the world based on people’s overall life satisfaction. To do so, they take into account measures such as:
- Freedom in making life choices
- Social support within communities
- Levels of corruption in governments
- Physical health of citizens
- Generosity within communities
- Average living standards (GDP per capita)
Déjà vu or something new?
The top 10 have remained fairly stable over the last few years, although researchers say the Finns are now more closely followed by the Danes.
Both countries have their strong connection with nature to thank for their smiling success, apparently. 🌱
READ MORE | 5 Dutch nature reserves to stretch your legs and enjoy the sights
Another similarity? All of the top 10 countries, except for Australia and the Netherlands, have populations of less than 15 million.
| Happiness ranking | Country |
|---|---|
| 1 | Finland 🇫🇮 |
| 2 | Denmark 🇩🇰 |
| 3 | Iceland 🇮🇸 |
| 4 | Sweden 🇸🇪 |
| 5 | Israel 🇮🇱 |
| 6 | The Netherlands 🇳🇱 |
| 7 | Norway 🇳🇴 |
| 8 | Luxembourg 🇱🇺 |
| 9 | Switzerland 🇨🇭 |
| 10 | Austria 🇦🇹 |
So, none of the countries with the largest populations are in the top 20 anymore; meaning the US (#23) and Germany (#24) have dropped out for the first time in the report’s history! 🤯
Sadly, Afghanistan remains the world’s lowest-ranked country for happiness. Lebanon, Lesotho, Sierra Leone, and Congo also rank near the bottom.
The Dutch difference
So, the Dutchies had their say, and it landed them in the sixth spot. But at one place lower than last year, is the Netherlands’ happiness fading? 🤔
Only slightly — for the women, anyway. Research reveals the drop in ranking is largely driven by a decline in Dutch women’s reported happiness.
READ MORE | Being a feminist in the Netherlands: surprisingly, it’s a challenge
The Netherlands is also one of the countries where the elderly are happier than the young — but again, there are no dramatic differences to worry about.
Dutch people over 60 are the 7th happiest in the world, while Dutch under 30 are the 9th.
Why’s that? The report mentions Dutch well-being practices such as De Hogeweyk in Weesp, the first dementia village of its kind, and the sense-stimulating Snoezelen rooms as potential reasons for impressive happiness levels later in life.
Despite the discrepancies, here’s to keeping the Dutch smiles alive into 2025! 🙌
What do you think of this year’s ranking? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
Save me….im french.