Main image via Insider + Good News From Finland
The past year has definitely been challenging for everyone around the world thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Though the virus has seen a decline in mental health for many, one country remains at the top of the happiest country in the world’s list.
Finland.
via GIPHY
For the fourth year in a row, Finland has once again come out in the number one spot on Gallup World Poll’s happiest country list.
Iceland comes in at number two this year with Denmark, Switzerland and the Netherlands follows in third, fourth and fifth respectively.
The World Happiness Report 2021 has been collected a little differently thanks to the pandemic.
Since it launched in 2012, the report has primarily been based on levels of gross domestic product (GDP), life expectancy, generosity, social support, freedom and corruption income.
This year, the researchers were not only faced by challenges such as being unable to complete face-to-face interviews in different countries, they also had switch things up entirely by focusing on the relationship between Covid-19 and wellbeing.
via GIPHY
“We need urgently to learn from Covid-19,” report co-editor Jeffrey Sachs, professor and director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University said.
“The pandemic reminds us of our global environmental threats, the urgent need to cooperate, and the difficulties of achieving cooperation in each country and globally,” he added.
University of British Columbia’s professor John Helliwell, who also contributed to the report, added that “Surprisingly there was not, on average, a decline in wellbeing when measured by people’s own evaluation of their lives.”
“One possible explanation is that people see Covid-19 as a common, outside threat affecting everybody and that this has generated a greater sense of solidarity and fellow-feeling,” he said.
Image via Orange Com
The annual report also found that lockdowns and social distancing impacted workforce wellbeing tremendously.
The collected data showed that those who were unable to work due to furlough or redundancy who said they were lonely at the start of the pandemic, became 43% less happy than those who did not feel lonely to begin with.
“My previous research showed how happy workers are 13% more productive,” professor Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, Director of Wellbeing Research Center at the University of Oxford, another contributor to the report said.
“This paper proves that happiness is not driven by pay, and that the social connections and a sense of identity are more important,” the professor noted.
“These findings point towards a ‘hybrid’ future of work, with a balance between office life and working from home to maintain social connections while ensuring flexibility for workers.”
“This has been a very challenging year, but the early data also show some notable signs of resilience in feelings of social connection and life evaluations,” report contributor professor Lara Aknin of Simon Fraser University added.
Image via Stat News
Here’s the top 20 countries on the World Happiness Report:
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
Congratulations Finland on being the happiest country in the world despite the challenges!
In the meantime, stay safe and stay updated with the latest COVID-19 news here: https://en.syok.my/covid-19
Info via CNN
Filled Under :
*We reserve the right to delete comments that contain inappropriate content.