Finland tops World Happiness chart as latest report finds light amid war and disease

2022 sees the 10th edition of the World Happiness Report.

Since it was first published, the World Happiness Report has been based on two key ideas: that happiness or life evaluation can be measured through opinion surveys, and that the authors can identify key determinants of well-being and thereby explain the patterns of life evaluation across countries. This information, they hope, can help countries craft policies aimed at achieving happier societies.

This initiative uses global survey data to report on how people evaluate their own lives in more than 150 countries.

"Past reports have looked at the links between people’s trust in government and institutions with happiness. The findings demonstrate that communities with high levels of trust are happier and more resilient in the face of a wide range of crises," say the authors in Friday's press release. "This year’s report comes in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has upended lives around the world."

John F. Helliwell is a Canadian economist and editor of the World Happiness Report. “We found during 2021 remarkable worldwide growth in all three acts of kindness monitored in the Gallup World Poll. Helping strangers, volunteering, and donations in 2021 were strongly up in every part of the world, reaching levels almost 25% above their pre-pandemic prevalence. This surge of benevolence, which was especially great for the helping of strangers, provides powerful evidence that people respond to help others in need, creating in the process more happiness for the beneficiaries, good examples for others to follow, and better lives for themselves.”

If you were considering placing a bet, you would almost certainly have put your money on one of the Nordic nations.

And you would