A flag in the colors of Lebanon floating in Jbeil, May 7, 2022. Photo Layal Dagher
Lebanon takes this unenviable title for the second year running: According to the UN-sponsored "World Happiness" report published on Wednesday, the Lebanese are the second unhappiest people in the world in 2024, after the Afghans. Finland consolidates its position as the world's happiest country for the 7th year running.
With a score of 2.707 out of 10, Lebanon is ranked 142nd, behind Lesotho (3.186) and just ahead of Afghanistan (1.721), which has suffered a humanitarian catastrophe since the Taliban returned to power in 2020.
The World Happiness Report is a measure of happiness published by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network every year since 2012. It is based on people's assessment of their happiness, as well as economic and social data. The report takes into account six key factors: Social support, income, health, freedom, generosity and absence of corruption.
The biggest declines in the happiness index since the 2006-2010 period are in Afghanistan, Lebanon and Jordan, while Serbia, Bulgaria and Latvia show the biggest increases. The Nordic countries top the top ten, with Denmark, Iceland and Sweden following Finland (7.741). France ranks 27th (6.609).
Kuwait enters the top 20
For the first time in over 10 years, the USA and Germany do not appear among the 20 happiest nations, coming in at 23rd and 24th place. Costa Rica and Kuwait enter the top 20 in 12th and 13th positions. None of the world's most populous countries feature in the top 20. "Among the top ten, only the Netherlands and Australia have more than 15 million inhabitants. Among the top twenty, only Canada and the UK have more than 30 million inhabitants," according to the report.
Proximity to nature and a good work-life balance are key to Finns' satisfaction, Jennifer De Paola, a researcher specializing in this area at the University of Helsinki, told AFP. The Finns may have "a more accessible understanding of what a successful life is," compared with the USA, for example, where success is often associated with financial gain, she added. Trust in institutions, low corruption and free access to healthcare and education are also paramount. "Finnish society is imbued with a sense of trust, freedom and a high level of autonomy," De Paola said.
The annual report also highlights a stronger sense of happiness among younger generations than older ones in most, but not all, regions. For example, the index has fallen dramatically since 2006-2010 among under-30s in North America, Australia and New Zealand, and is now lower than among older people in these regions. In Eastern Europe, on the other hand, it has risen in all age groups over the same period. With the exception of Europe, the gap between generations has widened worldwide, which the report's authors consider "worrying."
This article originally appeared in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.