The United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) recently unveiled the World Happiness Report 2022, marking the 10th anniversary of this annual publication.
About the World Happiness Report
Launched in 2012, the World Happiness Report revolves around two primary concepts: happiness or life evaluation determined through opinion surveys, and pinpointing key factors that shape well-being and life evaluation on a global scale. The report typically ranks 150 countries based on an array of criteria such as real GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and perceptions of corruption. In this year’s edition, however, the number of ranked countries stands at 146.
Each year, each variable measures a populated-weighted average score on a scale of 0-10, which is observed over time and contrasted with other nations. Interestingly, several countries that were in the top 10 last year have experienced shifts in their rankings.
Performance of the Countries
In this year’s report, Finland once again clinched first place to emerge as the world’s happiest country for the fifth consecutive year, closely followed by Denmark. Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania witnessed the most significant improvements in terms of happiness.
On the other end of the spectrum, Afghanistan was designated as the least happy nation, with Lebanon, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, and Botswana trailing behind.
India’s Performance in the Report
In terms of India’s performance, there was a slight enhancement in its ranking. The country climbed three spots to rank at 136, a notable improvement from 139 in the previous year.
Understanding the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)
The SDSN was initiated in 2012 under the auspices of the United Nations Secretary-General with a mission to mobilize global scientific and technological expertise in an effort to promote practical problem-solving strategies for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement.
The SDSN, along with the Bertelsmann Stiftung, has been publishing the SDGs Index & Dashboards Global Report annually since 2016.
Trivia: The Global Competitiveness Report
For trivia enthusiasts, it might be interesting to note that the Global Competitiveness Report is published annually by the World Economic Forum and not by the International Monetary Fund, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development or the World Bank. This was a question that appeared in the 2019 edition of Previous Year Question (PYQ).