The happiest people in the world are Scandinavian, the least satisfied with their lives hail from Sub-Saharan Africa, and the U.S. ranks number 17 on the list.
United Nations General Assembly's second World Happiness Report uses a number of factors to rank counties' happiness levels. The report strives to influence political decision-making by showing leaders the overall progress and well-being of most countries.
"There is now a rising worldwide demand that policy be more closely aligned with what really matters to people as they themselves characterize their well-being," Professor Jeffery Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, Director of the SDSN, and Special Advisor to the UN Secretary, said in a news release.
"More and more world leaders are talking about the importance of well-being as a guide for their nations and the world. The World Happiness Report 2013 offers rich evidence that the systematic measurement and analysis of happiness can teach us a lot about ways to improve the world's well-being and sustainable development," he said.
People in over 150 countries were surveyed to find out their perceived happiness on a scale of zero to 10.
The six factors relied by on the report included "real GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, having someone to count on, perceived freedom to make life choices, freedom from corruption, and generosity," the press release reported.
The report found the happiness levels have been "converging" over the past few years. Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have been gaining happiness (although many are still at the bottom of the list), while more "industrial countries have been steadily getting sadder.
The report also helps to identify key positive side-effects of general happiness, which seem to include: longer lives, higher productivity, and better overall citizens.
Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, and the Netherlands topped the happiness list. Togo was all the way at the bottom, topped by Benin and the Central African Republic. The U.S sat right below Mexico and above Ireland. Other countries that ranked higher than America were Canada, Australia, and Israel. The U.K. was number 22 on the list, France was 25, and Germany 26.
