World Happiness Report 2015 Ranks Switzerland as Happiest Country

The new World Happiness Report ranks Switzerland has country with the highest level of happiness. United States rank at 15th place.

If you do not feel happy it might be because you live in the wrong country. The fourth annual World Happiness Report identifies the countries with the highest level of happiness. This year’s report looks at the changes in happiness levels in 158 countries, and examines the reasons behind the statistics.

“The aspiration of society is the flourishing of its members,” said Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute, Columbia University. “This report gives evidence on how to achieve societal well-being. It’s not by money alone, but also by fairness, honesty, trust, and good health. The evidence here will be useful to all countries as they pursue the new Sustainable Development Goals.”

The report, produced by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), contains analysis from leading experts in the fields of economics, neuroscience, national statistics, and describes how measurements of subjective well-being can be used effectively to assess national progress. 

The happiest place to live is Switzerland followed by Iceland, Denmark, Norway and surprise Canada. The United States is ranked at 15th most happiest country. This is not too bad, but consider moving to Canada to increase your happiness by quite a bit.

“As the science of happiness advances, we are getting to the heart of what factors define quality of life for citizens,” said Helliwell. “We are encouraged that more and more governments around the world are listening and responding with policies that put well-being first. Countries with strong social and institutional capital not only support greater well-being, but are more resilient to social and economic crises.”

The full World Happiness Report 2015 report can be found here (pdf, 172 pages).