Search icon

News

12th Feb 2017

These are the happiest countries in the world

Alan Loughnane

Hans Christian Andersen, Mads Mikkelsen and Peter Schmeichel, they are/were a fierce happy bunch.

Denmark has overtaken Switzerland to claim the much coveted crown of, happiest country in the world.

The report, prepared by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and the Earth Institute at Columbia University worked out the happiest and most unhappy countries in the world and ranked them.

Taking into account factors like GDP per capita, freedom from corruption and “having someone to count on in times of trouble,” the result was worked out by the SDSN.

The top 10 this year were Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, Finland, Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand, Australia, and Sweden.

Ireland ranked in 19th place on the list, the US in 13th, while the UK came back in 23rd in the rankings.

“There is a very strong message for my country, the United States, which is very rich, has gotten a lot richer over the last 50 years, but has gotten no happier,” said Professor Jeffrey Sachs, head of the SDSN and special advisor to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the unhappiest countries in the world were Madagascar, Tanzania, Liberia, Guinea, Rwanda, Benin, Afghanistan, Togo, Syria and Burundi.

At least this time they’re not saying we’re the ugliest nation of men in the world

LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge

Topics:

World News