To say that the past year has been difficult for people around the world is an understatement.
The covid-19 pandemic has not only killed more than 2.6 million people around the world, but it has also caused a great shock to the daily lives of many of us.
But despite the devastating events of the last 12 months and the consequent deterioration of mental health in various destinations, there has been no change in the first place when it comes to ranking the happiest countries in the world.
For the fourth year in a row, Finland is ranked first in the annual list based on Gallup World Poll data, followed by Iceland, Denmark, Switzerland and the Netherlands in second, third, fourth and fifth positions, respectively.
While the United States rose from 18th to 14th and the United Kingdom fell from 13th to 18th, Australia ranked 12th.
“We urgently need to learn from COVID-19,” said report co-editor Jeffrey Sachs, professor and director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University.
“The pandemic reminds us of our global environmental threats, the urgent need to cooperate and the difficulties in achieving cooperation in each country and around the world.”
Movements in the list of the happiest countries
It’s worth noting that the 2021 World Happiness Report has been compiled slightly differently this time due to the coronavirus.
Not only were the researchers unable to complete face-to-face interviews in various countries, they also had to turn things around entirely by focusing on the relationship between well-being and COVID-19.
The report is mainly based on the levels of GDP, life expectancy, generosity, social support, freedom and income from corruption since its launch in 2012.
Although there have been some changes to the top 10, such as Iceland, which climbed two places from fourth to second on the list and Norway, which fell from fifth to eighth, the ranking was surprisingly similar to the previous year for the most part, which is considered a positive sign.
“Surprisingly, there was, on average, no decrease in well-being when measured by people’s own assessment of life,” said University of British Columbia professor John Helliwell, who also contributed to the report.
“One possible explanation is that people see COVID-19 as a common external threat that affects everyone and that this has generated a greater sense of solidarity and camaraderie.”
Other notable moves on the list include Germany, which has gone from 17th to 7th in the past year.
Croatia, which was among the destinations where face-to-face interviews could be conducted, went from 79th to 23rd on the list.
The trust factor
Researchers say it is not surprising that Finland has held the top position once again, as the Nordic country has always ranked high when it comes to mutual trust.
Trust is recognized as one of the main factors that helped protect people during the pandemic, as well as trust in governments.
For example, Brazil’s death rate was significantly higher than Singapore’s, a fact the report partially attributes to the difference in public trust in each country’s governments.
It also highlights that America and Europe had many more deaths from covid-19 than East Asia, Australasia and Africa.
The report suggests that the average age of a country’s population, even an island, and its proximity to other highly infected countries were factors that contributed to the disparity between mortality rates globally.
Interestingly, cultural differences, such as whether the head of government was a woman, are also noted as important considerations when measuring the success of covid-19 strategies, along with income inequality and knowledge gained from previous epidemics.
“The East Asian experience shows that strict government policies not only control COVID-19 effectively, but also cushion the negative impact of daily infections on people’s happiness,” said Professor Shun Wang, a contributor to the report, Korea Development Institute.
While successful vaccination programs in several countries have provided a much-needed boost for many, lockdowns, social distancing, mask use, and travel restrictions are an integral part of living with the virus, and that doesn’t even matter. Consider the financial implications.
Impact of covid on well-being
As a result, the report found that the decline in mental health was immediate in many countries, including the UK, where the number of reported mental health problems was 47% higher in May 2020 than was predicted before the covid-19.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the World Happiness Report 2021 also found that lockdowns and social distancing greatly affected the well-being of the workforce.
According to the data collected, those who were unable to work due to a leave or layoff and who said they felt lonely at the start of the pandemic were 43% less happy than those who did not feel lonely to begin with.
“My previous research showed that happy workers are 13% more productive,” said Professor Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, director of the Center for Wellness Research at the University of Oxford, another contributor to the report.
“This document shows that happiness is not driven by salary and that social connections and a sense of identity are more important.”
“These findings point to a ‘hybrid’ work future, with a work-from-home / office life balance to maintain social connections while ensuring flexibility for workers.”
Of the 149 countries featured in the report, Afghanistan was ranked the most unhappy once again, followed by Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Botswana.
The countries at the bottom of the list were mainly underdeveloped nations where issues such as political and armed conflict prevail, or have been so in recent times.
“This has been a very challenging year, but early data also shows some notable signs of resilience in feelings of social connectedness and evaluations of life,” says Lara Aknin, a contributing professor on the Simon Fraser University report.
The 20 happiest countries in the world 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