World Happiness Report
The World Happiness Report is a measure of happiness published by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
In July 2011, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution inviting member countries to measure the happiness of their people and to use this to help guide their public policies. On April 2, 2012, this was followed by the first UN High Level Meeting on "Happiness and Well-Being: Defining a New Economic Paradigm," which was chaired by Prime Minister Jigme Thinley of Bhutan, the first and so far only country to have officially adopted gross national happiness instead of gross domestic product as their main development indicator.[1]
The first World Happiness Report was released on April 1, 2012 as a foundational text for the meeting. It drew international attention as the world's first global happiness survey.[2] The report outlined the state of world happiness, causes of happiness and misery, and policy implications highlighted by case studies. In September 2013 the second World Happiness Report offered the first annual follow-up and reports are now issued every year.[3] The report uses data from the Gallup World Poll. Each annual report is available to the public on the World Happiness Report website.
In the reports, leading experts in several fields--economics, psychology, survey analysis, national statistics, and more--describe how measurements of well-being can be used effectively to assess the progress of nations. Each report is organized by chapters that delve deeper into issues relating to happiness, including mental illness, the objective benefits of happiness, the importance of ethics, policy implications, and links with the OECD's approach to measuring subjective well-being and the Human Development Report.
International rankings
Data is collected from people in over 150 countries. Each variable measured reveals a populated-weighted average score on a scale running from 0 to 10 that is tracked over time and compared against other countries. These variables currently include: real GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and perceptions of corruption. Each country is also compared against a hypothetical nation called Dystopia. Dystopia represents the lowest national averages for each key variable and is, along with residual error, used as a regression benchmark.
2016 ranking [4]
Legend:
Explained by: GDP per capita
Explained by: Social support
Explained by: Healthy life expectancy |
Explained by: Freedom to make life choices
Explained by: Generosity
Trust or absence of corruption, as explained by the publicly perceived absence of corruption in government and business[5]
Italics: States with limited recognition and disputed territories |
Overall Rank [6][7] |
Country | Score | Change Over Prior Year |
GDP per capita | Social support | Healthy life expectancy | Freedom to make life choices | Generosity | Trust |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
7.526 | ![]() |
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2 | ![]() |
7.509 | ![]() |
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3 | ![]() |
7.501 | ![]() |
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4 | ![]() |
7.498 | ![]() |
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5 | ![]() |
7.413 | ![]() |
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6 | ![]() |
7.404 | ![]() |
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7 | ![]() |
7.339 | ![]() |
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8 | ![]() |
7.334 | ![]() |
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9 | ![]() |
7.313 | ![]() |
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10 | ![]() |
7.291 | ![]() |
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11 | ![]() |
7.119 | ![]() |
||||||
12 | ![]() |
7.104 | ![]() |
||||||
13 | ![]() |
7.087 | ![]() |
||||||
14 | ![]() |
7.039 | ![]() |
||||||
15 | ![]() |
6.994 | ![]() |
||||||
17 | ![]() |
6.952 | ![]() |
||||||
18 | ![]() |
6.929 | ![]() |
||||||
19 | ![]() |
6.907 | ![]() |
||||||
20 | ![]() |
6.871 | ![]() |
||||||
21 | ![]() |
6.778 | ![]() |
||||||
22 | ![]() |
6.739 | ![]() |
||||||
23 | ![]() |
6.725 | ![]() |
||||||
24 | ![]() |
6.705 | ![]() |
||||||
25 | ![]() |
6.701 | ![]() |
||||||
26 | ![]() |
6.650 | ![]() |
||||||
27 | ![]() |
6.596 | ![]() |
||||||
28 | ![]() |
6.573 | ![]() |
||||||
29 | ![]() |
6.545 | ![]() |
||||||
30 | ![]() |
6.488 | ![]() |
||||||
31 | ![]() |
6.481 | ![]() |
||||||
32 | ![]() |
6.478 | ![]() |
||||||
33 | ![]() |
6.474 | ![]() |
||||||
34 | ![]() |
6.379 | ![]() |
||||||
35 | ![]() |
6.379 | ![]() |
||||||
36 | ![]() |
6.375 | ![]() |
||||||
37 | ![]() |
6.361 | ![]() |
||||||
38 | ![]() |
6.355 | ![]() |
||||||
39 | ![]() |
6.324 | ![]() |
||||||
40 | ![]() |
6.269 | ![]() |
||||||
41 | ![]() |
6.239 | ![]() |
||||||
42 | ![]() |
6.218 | ![]() |
||||||
43 | ![]() |
6.168 | ![]() |
||||||
44 | ![]() |
6.084 | ![]() |
||||||
45 | ![]() |
6.078 | ![]() |
||||||
46 | ![]() |
6.068 | ![]() |
||||||
47 | ![]() |
6.005 | ![]() |
||||||
48 | ![]() |
5.992 | ![]() |
||||||
49 | ![]() |
5.987 | ![]() |
||||||
50 | ![]() |
5.977 | ![]() |
||||||
51 | ![]() |
5.976 | ![]() |
||||||
52 | ![]() |
5.956 | ![]() |
||||||
53 | ![]() |
5.921 | ![]() |
||||||
54 | ![]() |
5.919 | ![]() |
||||||
55 | ![]() |
5.897 | ![]() |
||||||
56 | ![]() |
5.856 | ![]() |
||||||
57 | ![]() |
5.835 | ![]() |
||||||
58 | ![]() |
5.835 | ![]() |
||||||
59 | ![]() |
5.822 | ![]() |
||||||
60 | ![]() |
5.813 | ![]() |
||||||
61 | ![]() |
5.802 | ![]() |
||||||
62 | ![]() |
5.771 | ![]() |
||||||
63 | ![]() |
5.768 | ![]() |
||||||
64 | ![]() |
5.743 | ![]() |
||||||
65 | ![]() |
5.658 | ![]() |
||||||
66 | ![]() |
5.648 | ![]() |
||||||
67 | ![]() |
5.615 | ![]() |
||||||
68 | ![]() |
5.560 | ![]() |
||||||
69 | ![]() |
5.546 | ![]() |
||||||
70 | ![]() |
5.538 | ![]() |
||||||
71 | ![]() |
5.528 | ![]() |
||||||
72 | ![]() |
5.517 | ![]() |
||||||
73 | ![]() |
5.510 | ![]() |
||||||
74 | ![]() |
5.488 | ![]() |
||||||
75 | ![]() |
5.458 | ![]() |
||||||
76 | ![]() |
5.440 | ![]() |
||||||
77 | ![]() |
5.401 | ![]() |
||||||
78 | ![]() |
5.389 | ![]() |
||||||
79 | ![]() |
5.314 | ![]() |
||||||
80 | ![]() |
5.303 | ![]() |
||||||
81 | ![]() |
5.291 | ![]() |
||||||
82 | ![]() |
5.279 | ![]() |
||||||
83 | ![]() |
5.245 | ![]() |
||||||
84 | ![]() |
5.196 | ![]() |
||||||
85 | ![]() |
5.185 | ![]() |
||||||
86 | ![]() |
5.177 | ![]() |
||||||
87 | ![]() |
5.163 | ![]() |
||||||
88 | ![]() |
5.161 | ![]() |
||||||
89 | ![]() |
5.155 | ![]() |
||||||
90 | ![]() |
5.151 | ![]() |
||||||
91 | ![]() |
5.145 | ![]() |
||||||
92 | ![]() |
5.132 | ![]() |
||||||
93 | ![]() |
5.129 | ![]() |
||||||
94 | ![]() |
5.123 | ![]() |
||||||
95 | ![]() |
5.121 | ![]() |
||||||
96 | ![]() |
5.061 | ![]() |
||||||
97 | ![]() |
5.057 | ![]() |
||||||
98 | ![]() |
5.045 | ![]() |
||||||
99 | ![]() |
5.033 | ![]() |
||||||
100 | ![]() |
4.996 | ![]() |
||||||
101 | ![]() |
4.907 | ![]() |
||||||
102 | ![]() |
4.876 | ![]() |
||||||
103 | ![]() |
4.875 | ![]() |
||||||
104 | ![]() |
4.871 | ![]() |
||||||
105 | ![]() |
4.813 | ![]() |
||||||
106 | ![]() |
4.795 | ![]() |
||||||
107 | ![]() |
4.793 | ![]() |
||||||
108 | ![]() |
4.754 | ![]() |
||||||
109 | ![]() |
4.655 | ![]() |
||||||
110 | ![]() |
4.643 | ![]() |
||||||
111 | ![]() |
4.635 | ![]() |
||||||
112 | ![]() |
4.575 | ![]() |
||||||
113 | ![]() |
4.574 | ![]() |
||||||
114 | ![]() |
4.513 | ![]() |
||||||
115 | ![]() |
4.508 | ![]() |
||||||
116 | ![]() |
4.459 | ![]() |
||||||
117 | ![]() |
4.415 | ![]() |
||||||
118 | ![]() |
4.391 | ![]() |
||||||
119 | ![]() |
4.365 | ![]() |
||||||
120 | ![]() |
4.362 | ![]() |
||||||
121 | ![]() |
4.360 | ![]() |
||||||
122 | ![]() |
4.356 | ![]() |
||||||
123 | ![]() |
4.324 | ![]() |
||||||
124 | ![]() |
4.276 | ![]() |
||||||
125 | ![]() |
4.272 | ![]() |
||||||
126 | ![]() |
4.252 | ![]() |
||||||
127 | ![]() |
4.236 | ![]() |
||||||
128 | ![]() |
4.219 | ![]() |
||||||
129 | ![]() |
4.217 | ![]() |
||||||
130 | ![]() |
4.201 | ![]() |
||||||
131 | ![]() |
4.193 | ![]() |
||||||
132 | ![]() |
4.156 | ![]() |
||||||
133 | ![]() |
4.139 | ![]() |
||||||
134 | ![]() |
4.121 | ![]() |
||||||
135 | ![]() |
4.073 | ![]() |
||||||
136 | ![]() |
4.028 | ![]() |
||||||
137 | ![]() |
3.974 | ![]() |
||||||
138 | ![]() |
3.956 | ![]() |
||||||
139 | ![]() |
3.916 | ![]() |
||||||
140 | ![]() |
3.907 | ![]() |
||||||
141 | ![]() |
3.866 | ![]() |
||||||
142 | ![]() |
3.856 | ![]() |
||||||
143 | ![]() |
3.832 | ![]() |
||||||
144 | ![]() |
3.763 | ![]() |
||||||
145 | ![]() |
3.739 | ![]() |
||||||
146 | ![]() |
3.739 | ![]() |
||||||
147 | ![]() |
3.724 | ![]() |
||||||
148 | ![]() |
3.695 | ![]() |
||||||
149 | ![]() |
3.666 | ![]() |
||||||
150 | ![]() |
3.622 | ![]() |
||||||
151 | ![]() |
3.607 | ![]() |
||||||
152 | ![]() |
3.515 | ![]() |
||||||
153 | ![]() |
3.484 | ![]() |
||||||
154 | ![]() |
3.360 | ![]() |
||||||
155 | ![]() |
3.303 | ![]() |
||||||
156 | ![]() |
3.069 | ![]() |
||||||
157 | ![]() |
2.905 | ![]() |
Charts and graphs
-
World Happiness Report
See also
- Bhutan GNH Index
- Broad measures of economic progress
- Disability-adjusted life year
- Economics
- Green national product
- Gender-related Development Index
- Genuine Progress Indicator
- Gross National Happiness
- Gross National Well-being
- Happiness economics
- Happy Planet Index
- Human Development Index
- International Happiness Day
- Progress (history)
- Progressive utilization theory
- Legatum Prosperity Index
- Leisure satisfaction
- Law of Social Cycle
- Money-rich, time-poor
- OECD Better Life Index
- Post-materialism
- Psychometrics
- Subjective life satisfaction
- Where-to-be-born Index
- Wikiprogress
- World Values Survey
Notes
- ↑ Israel, founded in 1948, is not recognised by 31 UN members.
- ↑ In 1949, the Republic of China government led by the Kuomintang (KMT) lost the Chinese Civil War to the Communist Party of China (CPC) and set up a provisional capital in Taipei, which serves as the seat of government to this day. The CPC established the People's Republic. As such, the political status of the ROC and the legal status of Taiwan (alongside the territories currently under ROC jurisdiction) are in dispute. In 1971, the United Nations gave the China seat to the PRC instead of the ROC: most states recognize the PRC to be the sole legitimate representative of all China, and the UN classifies Taiwan as "Taiwan, Province of China". The ROC has de facto relations with most sovereign states. A significant political movement within Taiwan advocates Taiwan independence.
- 1 2 Both the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China claim sovereignty over the whole of China, stating China is de jure a single sovereign entity encompassing both the area controlled by the PRC and the area controlled by the ROC. The position of individual states on this matter varies. Several states fully accept the PRC's position that there is only one China and that the PRC is the sole legitimate representative of China. Other states merely acknowledge this position, while recognising only the PRC as a state. Some states recognise only the ROC as a state, but have expressed an interest in recognition and relations with both the ROC and the PRC.[8]
- ↑ Kosovo is the subject of a territorial dispute between the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of Serbia. The Republic of Kosovo unilaterally declared independence on 17 February 2008, but Serbia continues to claim it as part of its own sovereign territory. The two governments began to normalise relations in 2013, as part of the Brussels Agreement. Kosovo has received recognition as an independent state from 110 out of 193 United Nations member states.
- ↑ See the following on statehood criteria:
- Mendes, Errol (30 March 2010). "Statehood and Palestine for the purposes of Article 12 (3) of the ICC Statute" (PDF). 30 March 2010: 28, 33. Retrieved 2011-04-17: "...the Palestinian State also meets the traditional criteria under the Montevideo Convention..."; "...the fact that a majority of states have recognised Palestine as a State should easily fulfill the requisite state practice".
- McKinney, Kathryn M. (1994). "The Legal Effects of the Israeli-PLO Declaration ofPrinciples: Steps Toward Statehood for Palestine". Seattle University Law Review. Seattle University. 18 (93): 97. Retrieved 2011-04-17: "It is possible, however, to argue for Palestinian statehood based on the constitutive theory".
- McDonald, Avril (Spring 2009). "Operation Cast Lead: Drawing the Battle Lines of the Legal Dispute". Human Rights Brief. Washington College of Law, Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law. 25. Retrieved 2011-04-17: "Whether one applies the criteria of statehood set out in the Montevideo Convention or the more widely accepted constitutive theory of statehood, Palestine might be considered a state."
References
- ↑ "GNH Survey 2010" (PDF). The Centre for Bhutan Studies. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
- ↑ Helliwell, John; Layard, Richard; Sachs, Jeffrey (April 2, 2012). "World Happiness Report" (PDF). Columbia University Earth Institute. Retrieved 2014-06-29.
- ↑ Kyu Lee (2013-09-09). "Sustainable Development Solutions Network | World Happiness Report 2013". unsdsn.org. Retrieved 2014-04-25.
- ↑ "World Happiness Report 2016 Update". UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network; Earth Institute (University of Columbia). pp. 20–21–22. Archived from the original on 17 Mar 2016. Retrieved 20 Mar 2016.
- ↑ "Chapter 2: The Distribution of World Happiness", World Happiness Report 2016 Update (PDF), p. 4, para. 1, retrieved 20 Mar 2016
- ↑ "2016 Update Report download" (PDF). Retrieved 20 Mar 2016.
- ↑ 2016 Table download (XLS), Figure2.2, retrieved 20 Mar 2016
- ↑ "Taiwan cuts ties with Costa Rica over recognition for China". The New York Times. 7 June 2007. Retrieved 11 February 2016.