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IRELAND HAS MOVED up two places in the world happiness ranking report, but the top spot still belongs to Finland.
Finland leads the world in happiness, according to the World Happiness Report, for the eighth year in a row, with Finns reporting an average score of 7.736 (out of 10) when asked to evaluate their lives. Nordic countries dominated the top four, with Denmark, Iceland and Sweden following Finland in that order.
Ireland, with an average score of 6.889, ranked 15th, up from 17th in the last happiness rankings in 2023.
European countries dominated the top 20 in the ranking, though there were some exceptions. Despite the war with Hamas, Israel came in at eighth. Costa Rica and Mexico entered the top 10 for the first time, ranking at sixth and 10th respectively.
The United States, ranked 24th, falls to its lowest-ever position, ranked just behind the United Kingdom, 23rd, reporting its lowest average life evaluation since the 2017 report.
Afghanistan again was ranked as the unhappiest country in the world, with Afghan women saying their lives are especially difficult. Sierra Leone in western Africa is the second unhappiest, followed by Lebanon.
Country rankings are based on a three-year average of each population’s average assessment of their quality of life.
Experts in economics, psychology, sociology and other subjects seek to explain the variations of countries, including factors like GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, having someone to count on, a sense of freedom, generosity and perceptions of corruption. These factors help describe the differences between countries, although the rankings are based solely on the ratings people give about their own lives.
This year, researchers focused on the theme of “caring and sharing” in their findings.
Sharing meals and household size were linked to wellbeing. Researchers found that “four to five people living together enjoy the highest levels of happiness in Mexico and Europe, but many people in Europe are living on their own.”
The study also reported that, in 2023, nearly one in five young adults across the world reported having no one they could count on for social support, this had increased 39% compared to 2006.
Additionally, researchers found that the belief in the kindness of others is much more closely tied to happiness than previously thought.
Lara B. Aknin, professor of social psychology at Simon Fraser University, and an editor of the World Happiness Report, said “Human happiness is driven by our relationships with others. Investing in positive social connections and engaging in benevolent actions are both matched by greater happiness.”
The World Happiness Report is published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, in partnership with Gallup, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network and an independent editorial board.
The findings were published today to mark the UN’s International Day of Happiness.
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Why is the comments section closed on the above article when people were allowed to pay for a full page of a paper demanding the reinstatement of these rugby players?
@Cindy Crawford: my thoughts exactly
@Cindy Crawford: Surely you don’t believe the the careers of two people should be ended because they exchanged very disrespectful text messages between each other privately? That would be considered draconian in most eyes outside the social media arena.
Or is it really because you don’t accept the outcome of their trial and the opinion of the judge and jury ?
@Stephen Boland: They probably have seen twitter and Facebook. The comments sections on articles about the trial would be nightmare to moderate. Also those who maybe in the #ibelieveher camp could defame Jackson and the journal is responsible for this.
@Cindy Crawford: because the potential for defamation is too great and The Journal would be held responsible as well as those that like to talk behind anonymous accounts
@Cindy Crawford:
Usually when that happens the journal puts it on Facebook and comments are open on that but they haven’t uploaded it yet.
@Gareth Cooney: Their behaviour brought the sport into disrepute. What are Ulster Rugby and the IRFU going to do about it? Should all players conduct themselves in the same manner. Is this behaviour seen as acceptable in Rugby? They have tarnished the sport and should be held to account for it by Ulster Rugby and the IRFU.
@Carina Clarke: Carina, I’m with you but unfortunately a lot of rugger types would use this as a badge of honour. In fact their reps probably went up. Sad, I know, but that’s the different sexes for you. Blame god.
@Steven Fitzpatrick: Whoever paid for this? We don’t know who they are or what their actual motives are (beyond the stated ones which may not tell the entire story. Although I think we can guess who is behind the poster). Interesting that they say they are ‘Real Fans (are you not a ‘Real Fan’ if you disagree with them) standing up for ‘the Ulster Men’ when the notion of what an Ulster Man is and how he should or should not behave is right at the heart of the matter. Shoddy PR
@Dave O Keeffe: agree but the journal itself is in danger of swinging to being way way too safe , in so many articles now they close comments , I totally understand when there is potential libel especially when a case is in front of the courts but it is clearly getting to a stage where they are afraid to open comments far too often and AKWAYS take the safer option JUST IN CASE , about two weeke after the lidl was damaged there was a ( good news ) story that Lidl were announcing the rebuild for a new store and the journal closed comments , totally ridiculous , they need to toughen up as a media org or potentially people will get fed up if they can’t comment in too many stories might stop using it altogether
Let them play!
This is why I love the EU. The one true body that fights corruption and white collar criminals. Sock it to the s(um, make us proud of our specie for a change.
@Steven Fitzpatrick: Have you any evidence that people wearing white collars at FOX London where engaged in corruption. This is one media outlet trying to buy another. Happens quite often.
@Joe Caulfield: The EU have the evidence now.
@Joe Caulfield: and there are strict rules on how to go about doing that. This is just ensuring that those rules were followed. Also, ‘where were you? We’re late now!’
@Larry Doyle: What evidence?
@Joe Caulfield: The evidence they found in all those offices, and before you start a lack of evidence is also a form of evidence.
The only reason the autocrats on the commission targeted Fox is because they don’t like their opinions. The EU is the new Soviet Union.
@Joe Caulfield: that’s a hell of an accusation, got any proof? Or a case of a left leaning organisation in a takeover of the same scale being treated differently?
@Joe Caulfield: Any evidence to back up your opinion?
@Dave O Keeffe: Oh the Irony, the man who’s spouted conspiracies for 18 months about obstruction and Russia now asking for evidence.
@Joe Caulfield: If you feel that strongly about it why don’t you move?
@Joe Caulfield: laughs out loud
@Joe Caulfield: dumb statement. Fox News has barely any viewership in Europe and Fox News is a small part of their business. Sky dropped Fox News last year and Murdoch owns almost 40% of Sky. Is there bias there? The EU has pursued anti-trust laws far more than any other authority. To say it’s political bias is ridiculous. They raided the offices of a number of organizations but they don’t have the same name recognition. Also, comparing the EU to USSR is like saying Trump is Hitler.
The funny thing about the EU Commission and their competition laws is that they have harmed the consumer in this area. It used to be that you had to get Sky if you wanted to watch sport and pay an extortionate amount for the pleasure. Now if you want to watch sport you need no less than 3 subscriptions and the prices haven’t come down. Well done to them, great work!
@joe: The football/rugby/gaa aren’t complaining.
@Larry Doyle: They wouldn’t. The fans on the other hand…
Raids on Facebook, Alphabet, Google and other de facto monopolies might be more telling.
It’s a shame Fox news was taken off Sky. Say what you like about them, they were the only counter narrative in the news section on Sky. The remaining channels all parrot the same talking points. Very unhealthy state of affairs.
@A Piece of Chalk: I would have thought that you would have regarded Faux News as too liberal and too soft for you.
A Faux (Fox) News might say. Fox, fixing the News for you.
@A Piece of Chalk: Ever cross your mind that the reason Fox were the only ones spouting this ‘counter narrative’ as you say, is that the majority of stations report actual news??
have your say