Finland Retains Title as Happiest Country in World for Sixth Year in a Row; United States and UK Slide Out of Top 20

For the sixth year in a row, Finland has been ranked as the happiest country in the world according to the annual World Happiness Report. The Scandinavian nation is closely followed by Denmark and Iceland, which placed second and third respectively.

While many countries have remained consistent in their rankings over the years, this year saw some significant changes. For instance, the United States fell out of the top 20 for the first time, dropping from 15th to 23rd place. The United Kingdom also landed in the 20th spot overall.

Researchers behind the report rely on data from the Gallup World Poll to compile their rankings. This survey involves 100,000 people across 130 countries rating their quality of life on a scale of zero to ten. Other factors such as GDP per capita, life expectancy, individual freedom, and government corruption are also taken into account when determining happiness levels.

Despite efforts to improve happiness levels across various nations, no country achieved a perfect score in this year’s report. Finland led with a happiness score of 7.804 while Denmark came close behind with a score of 7.586.