Maybe it’s all the stroopwafel, but the Dutch seem like a happy bunch. It could be the fact that the Dutch live a long life, or maybe it’s the healthy sex drive — whatever the cause may be, the Netherlands has been ranked the fifth happiest country in the world!
At least that’s where it stands according to the World Happiness Report 2021 who teamed up with Gallup to perform a worldwide survey. They asked people in 149 countries to rate their happiness. Finland pinched top place, for the fourth time running, followed by Denmark, Iceland, and Switzerland respectively.
How was it measured?
No, it wasn’t based on how much haring is consumed, otherwise, we know we would come out on top. The World Happiness Report based its rankings on things such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the population’s access to social support, individual freedoms, and the public’s perception of corruption.
Impact of coronavirus
Unsurprisingly, the wake of the coronavirus pandemic has affected the results of the report. Gallup says that the report “sheds considerable light on the effect that the pandemic had on people’s subjective wellbeing and on humanity as a whole.”
Despite the stress brought on by a global pandemic, figures show that some nations are experiencing less anxiety. The report shows that the Netherlands, as well as France and Denmark, shows a decrease in the percentage of people experiencing anxiety since Spring 2020. The increased use of cannabis during lockdown probably explains why the Dutch are more mellow. 😉
The top 10 happiest countries
Want to see who our competition is? Here are the top ten happiest countries according to the report:
1. Finland
2. Denmark
3. Iceland
4. Switzerland
5. the Netherlands
6. Sweden
7. Germany
8. Norway
9. New Zealand
10. Austria
Which countries did expect to see on the list? Let us know in the comments!
Feature Image: Simon Maage/UnsplashÂ
I thought Mexico would be on the top 5!
NOT!👎they are fighting to come thru Texas & California to live in the USA
Well!!! I knew it was the Dutch