Finland is the happiest country in the world, Costa Rica is the happiest in Latin America

Published by BBN Staff at March 20, 2021

Tags

Posted: Saturday, March 20, 2021. 10:32 am CST.

By Rubén Morales Iglesias: COVID-19 notwithstanding, Finland continues being the happiest country in the world according to the 2021 World Happiness report released Friday. This is the fourth consecutive year that Finland tops the report.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network produces the report annually. This year it ranked 149 countries on data considering gross domestic product per person, healthy life expectancy and the opinions of the countries’ residents.

Nine of the top ten countries are European. Denmark is 2nd, Switzerland 3rd, Iceland 4th, and Netherlnds 5th. The next five are led by Norway 6th, Sweden 7th, and Luxembourg 8th. New Zealand in the 9th position is the only non-European country that made it way into the top ten. Austria rounds up the top ten.

Canada, ranked 14th, is considered the happiest in the Americas.

Costa Rica, ranked 16th, is first in Latin America and second in the Americas ahead of the United States that is ranked 19th.

Next door neighbour Guatemala, ranked 30th overall, is the fourth happiest in the Americas and second happiest in Latin America behind Costa Rica.

Brazil is 35th and our other neighbour Mexico is 36th. They are 6th and 7th in the Americas respectively behind Uruguay (31st).

Jamaica is the happiest in the Caribbean, 7th in the Americas and 37th in the world.

Belize is not ranked in the 2021 World Happiness report.

“Global life evaluations have shown remarkable resilience in the face of COVID-19,” said the 2021 World Happiness report.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network said the principal source of data for assessing lives around the globe is the Gallup World Poll.

The 2021 World Happiness report gathers data on gross domestic product, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and perceptions of corruption.

The most important factors for happiness were “people’s trust in each other and confidence in their government.”

Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Belize ~ We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages. Your content is delivered instantly to thousands of users in Belize and abroad! Contact us at mаrkеtі[email protected]еаkіngbеlіzеnеwѕ.соm or call us at 501-601-0315.