A report chooses Finland as the happiest country in the world for the seventh time in a row; Brazil is ranked 44th

Helsinki, the capital of Finland – Photo: Getty Images via BBC

Finland has been deemed the happiest country in the world for the seventh time in a row, according to a UN-sponsored report released on Wednesday (20). Brazil came in 44th place.

Compared to the rankings issued last year, Brazil advanced five places. Among South American countries, Brazilians rank second after Uruguay (26) and Chile (38).

The document takes into account six main factors: social support, income, health, freedom, generosity, and absence of corruption.

The Nordic countries occupy the first places, with Denmark, Iceland and Sweden appearing immediately after Finland.

In last place on the list of 143 countries is Afghanistan, which was hit by a humanitarian catastrophe after the Taliban returned to power in 2020.

For the first time in more than 10 years, the United States and Germany do not appear among the 20 happiest countries, and are ranked 23rd and 24th. Costa Rica and Kuwait entered the top 20 and are ranked 12th and 13th.

None of the world's most populous countries appeared in the top twenty.

The report highlights: “Among the top 10 countries, only the Netherlands and Australia have more than 15 million people. Of the top 20, only Canada and the United Kingdom have more than 30 million people.”

The biggest setbacks in the happiness index since the period 2006-2010 were in Afghanistan, Lebanon and Jordan, while Serbia, Bulgaria and Latvia recorded strong progress.

The World Report is a measure of happiness issued annually by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network since 2012, and it is based on people’s assessment of their happiness and on economic and social data.

Jennifer De Paula, a researcher at the University of Helsinki specializing in this topic, told AFP that proximity to nature and a good balance between work and private life are the key to Finns' satisfaction.

Jennifer noted that Finns may have a “more accessible understanding of what a successful life is,” compared to, for example, the United States, where success is more about financial gain.

Trust in institutions, reduced corruption, and free access to health care and education are also essential.

The report also highlights a stronger sense of happiness among new generations compared to older people in most regions.

However, the rate has fallen sharply since 2006-2010 among those under 30 in North America, Australia and New Zealand, and is lower than the rate for older people in those regions. However, it advanced in all age groups in Eastern Europe over the same period.

Inequality in happiness increased in all regions except Europe, which researchers found worrying.

Learn about the position of some countries according to the study issued this year: